District Court

The District Court (An Chúirt Dúiche in Irish) of Ireland consists of a President and fifty-four judges.

For the purposes of the administration of justice the country is divided into districts and at least one judge is assigned to each district. Cases heard in a district court include civil and criminal; family law and licensing applications are also heard in the court.

Jurisdiction

The civil jurisdiction is limited to damages not exceeding €6,350; the court has no equitable jurisdiction.

The criminal jurisdiction is limited to summary offences - i.e. offences heard without a jury where the maximum punishment is 12 months imprisonment. Bail hearings for offences triable by both the District Court itself and the Circuit Court are heard here also with a right to appeal to the High Court for a refusal to grant bail.

Appeals

All judgements of the District Court in both civil and criminal trials can be appealed to a de novo hearing in front of the Circuit Court. The decisions of a District Court judge can also be judicially reviewed by the High Court.

External links

• District Court - Courts Service of Ireland

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