There was chaos at Mullingar District Court last week as the judge sought to deal with what he repeatedly describes as “the volume of business before the court”.
After a brief adjournment in the afternoon, Judge John Neilan returned to say he had agreed a special sitting with the President of the District Court on May 20 and that everyone in the court who had a summons, would have their case heard on that day.
“Something’s going to have to give but not my health,” he said, adding that he had “given up my Mondays, Sundays, and Saturdays” for extra sittings.
He described himself as “only a number on the wall in any Government office,” and criticised again the “redesign” of the district court boundaries saying “I can’t work 24 hours a day”.
However, shortly thereafter he told those present that the District Court registrar had informed him it was physically impossible to hold another court on May 20 as there were sittings on Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday.
35 defendants involved in one incident had their case adjourned to a September date at the suggestion of Mr Robert Marren and Inspector Jarlath Folan to fix a date for hearing.
The judge also ordered Gardaí to prosecute drink-drivers in the immediate area of Mullingar District by summons.
“I don’t see why it can’t be dealt with by summons,” he said promising to place a limited six month remand on every charge for that offence which appears before him.
Because of the volume of business before the court he said he would be focussing on custody cases and on those which required interpreters.
If Gardaí want to “persist in charging people with Section 49 living in close proximity to Mullingar, they’re going to find a six month limited remand”.
He later added public order offences to that list saying that every “Section 4, Section 6, and Section 8 will automatically get remanded six months down the road. I have to address matters brought in”.
These sections of the Public Order Act refer to public intoxication, threatening and abusive behaviour and failure to comply with the direction of gardaí.
