A year on from first Covid case in Limerick, wheels of justice keep turning

IT MAY seem strange to those working at home on their own to hear of people coming together every day – and sometimes weekends – under the one roof.

It isn’t a hospital, care facility, supermarket, manufacturing company or a meat factory – it’s your local courthouse. The wheels of justice have continued to turn throughout the pandemic in a very socially distanced and safe manner. 

Ted McCarthy, solicitor, marked this on Monday in court number six on Mulgrave Street. In an address, he said the relevance of the date is that exactly 12 months ago the first case of Covid-19 was identified in Ireland.

The first cases in the Mid West were confirmed four days later.

“The reason I want to mark it is because throughout the last 12 months the courts in this district have continued to run efficiently and administer justice as required without interruption.

“That has occurred because of the professional approach of all persons associated with this court, all the stakeholders,” said Mr McCarthy, who spoke of the judiciary, Courts Service staff, gardai, prison officers, Probation Service, the public, private security, cleaners, the media, and fellow solicitors and barristers.

While the sitting judge on the day – Patricia Harney – has been a recent appointment to Limerick, Mr McCarthy said she had presided over various district courts without interruption.

“Special mention must be made of the Court Service staff and registrars. In ordinary times it is difficult enough – this court district is one of the busiest in the country but to do so in the past 12 months has been a massive effort. They have all stood up.

“The gardai who again have a difficult enough job in normal times are at the frontline all the time. Irrespective of problems in the force in relation to sickness and such they have managed to double down and execute their duties in the high level of efficiency and professionalism we have come to expect.”

Mr McCarthy said prison officers travel to court with prisoners, work in a confined space, have to deal with the various outbreaks of Covid that have occurred in the prison and “yet carry on their duty without complaint”.

“The Probation and Welfare Service who under ordinary times are undermanned but in these times the reports that have been required have been reported in a timely and professional fashion.

“Members of the public would normally have access to courts and they haven’t in the last 12 months. They have been very compliant and have not sought to insist on their attendance as such.

“Those who have to attend have complied with all the regulations and all the requirements without fail and because of that this courthouse has not been subject to any form of Covid outbreak,” said Mr McCarthy, who also thanked the staff who are constantly cleaning the building. 

He praised the media for reporting on court proceedings so that the general public, who don’t have access currently, have a channel of communication.

“Lastly, I should recognise the professionalism of my colleagues – solicitors and barristers who attend this court. Each time they attend they have to be in position to have their cases prepared and ready to go whether they are going ahead or not,” said Mr McCarthy, who talked about the difficulties of receiving instructions under the Covid regulations.

Like he has done on many occasions, the solicitor then summed up his case.

“I felt the need to stand here this morning and commend all involved. It is good for people to hear they are doing a good job.

“If we weren’t doing a good job this court wouldn’t have continued as it has. There is a nine page list of cases today and we will get through them.

“My hope is that this time next year we won’t be under the cloud we presently are; that we can socially interact again like we used to and I look forward to that day with hope, anticipation and optimism,” concluded Mr McCarthy.

Judge Harney thanked him for his kind words and said: “I think they are very appropriate”.

“It has been a very long year for everybody. One of the things I am very aware of from my new role as a member of the judiciary, coming from working as a solicitor in a small country town is that the State services are a very considerable institutional support.

“I have got a lot of sympathy for the small practitioner trying to run an office in the circumstances. They have to deal with the issue of infection, take care of their own staff, deal with staff shortages, deal with sometimes very difficult clients.

“No doubt many people are irate and upset that their civil matters have not been brought to conclusion and matters cannot be dealt with in the high standard and timely fashion that they were heretofore,” she continued.

“So for that reason I want to offer my support and commiserations to those often forgotten members of the self employed who like the court staff, gardai, prison officers, security, Probation Service, keep the wheels of justice running smoothly,” said Judge Harney.

On a brighter note she said it was important to recognise “we are down the road, we turn our faces towards the sun on this beautiful spring morning, we hope the light will continue to shine and that we have a less daunting year ahead of us”. 

With that the first case of the day was called.