Work starts on €120m complex of 22 courts

WORK on a €120m landmark criminal court complex in Dublin, capable of handling over 200,000 criminal cases each year, is scheduled to begin next week, and is due for completion in 2010.

Details of the new 22-courtroom facility to be housed in an “iconic, round” building were announced by the Courts Service yesterday.

All existing criminal courts in the capital will be relocated to the complex in the largest investment in court buildings in the history of the Irish legal system.

The 25,000 sq m round building, which will be located at the corner of Parkgate Street and Infirmary Road, near the Phoenix Park, is being built under a public private partnership at a cost of €120m

It is understood the deal will be worth €290m over the 25-year term of the contract to the successful tender, Babcock and Brown — the Australian investment firm which owns Eircom.

The Courts Service said the new complex was designed to improve security, privacy and comfort for all users of criminal courts.

Legal professionals, gardaí and prison officers had increasingly been expressing concern in recent years about security levels at the Four Courts building, where most high-profile criminal cases for murder, rape, robbery and drugs offences are heard.

A number of cases involving dangerous criminals have been transferred in the past 12 months to the more secure surroundings at Cloverhill Court, after efforts were made to intimidate witnesses and jury members.

The new facility will house sittings of the Court of Criminal Appeal, the Special Criminal Court, the Central Criminal Court as well as criminal cases at circuit and district courts.

The transfer of criminal courts to a new section of what has been dubbed Dublin’s Legal Quarter will also facilitate the creation of extra courtrooms at the existing Four Courts building for civil matters.

The Chief Justice, Mr Justice John Murray said the new complex would be “the first State building of such monumental proportions to be built since 1922.

Speaking at a ceremony attended by Justice Minister, Michael McDowell, the Chief Justice said the design of the building would enable judges to improve case-management and speed up the listing of trials.

Courts Service spokesperson, Brendan Ryan said a major need for a dedicated criminal court complex had emerged in recent years.

Irish Examiner