04 September 2024

NÓTA:  Tá an cháipéis seo á haistriú go Gaeilge i láthair na huaire agus beidh sí ar fail go luath.

Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions publishes Annual Report 2023

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ms. Catherine Pierse, is pleased to announce the publication of her Office’s Annual Report for 2023.  This comprehensive report provides an in-depth overview of the activities, achievements, and challenges faced by the Office over the past year.

The Annual Report 2023 highlights key statistics and legal developments that have shaped the year, offering transparency and insight into the prosecution process in Ireland. It also outlines the strategic initiatives undertaken to achieve our mission of delivering a fair, independent and effective prosecution service on behalf of all the people of Ireland.

Key highlights of the 2023 Annual Report include:

• Case Statistics: Detailed breakdown of prosecution files received; decisions made; outcomes of cases prosecuted on indictment; undue leniency appeals and more.
• Increased Central Criminal Court Activity: New data has been provided in this year’s Report highlighting the increased level of activity in the Central Criminal Court – the court that deals predominantly with the offences of rape and murder – including a dramatic increase in the number of Central Criminal Court cases being heard outside of Dublin.
• Strategic Initiatives: Overview of projects aimed at improving the prosecution service including: facilitation of training programmes to our stakeholders; participation in the delivery of key cross-sectoral projects; collaboration with victims’ organisations; and increasing public awareness and understanding of our Office.
• Significant Legal Developments: Summaries of court decisions during 2023 which are important, interesting, or have precedent value for prosecution work.

In her Foreword, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Catherine Pierse, highlights two key challenges that were very much to the fore in 2023 and will require sustained attention:

“…the challenge of ensuring that delays in the criminal justice system are minimised and that the prosecution service can respond to the sharp increase in court activity that was evident in 2023” and “…the continuing challenge of dealing with an ever increasing volume of digital data in almost all categories of cases.”

Commenting on the dramatic increase in Central Criminal Court activity in recent years due to additional judicial appointments, the Director noted:

“…there has been a 66% increase in the number of trial dates listed in the Central Criminal Court over the past five years, as well as a significant increase in the number of Central Criminal Court cases being heard in venues outside of Dublin.  In 2019, 127 court dates in the Central Criminal Court were held outside of Dublin.  At the end of 2023 this figure had risen to 517, equating to a 407% increase in the 2019 to 2023 period.  As a Dublin based Office, this has presented operational challenges and required significant additional effort and commitment by all involved including the staff of my Office as well as our prosecuting barristers.”

The Director also noted that this situation is not limited to the Central Criminal Court, saying:

“There has also been a significant increase in Circuit Court activity country wide over the past five years.  Sitting dates in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court increased by 24% from 2019 to 2023, and a State Solicitors workload review conducted in 2023 highlighted a substantial increase in activity in the Circuit Courts outside of Dublin also.” 

The full Annual Report 2023 for the Office of the DPP is now available to view/download from our website, www.dppireland.ie or by clicking on the following direct link >> Annual Report 2023.

For media enquiries, please contact Orlagh Flood, Head of Governance & Public Affairs, by email media.liaision@dppireland.ie or telephone: 01 858 8691.

ENDS

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About the Office of the DPP: The Director of Public Prosecutions, Catherine Pierse, is independent in the performance of her functions.  The duties of the Director are to: enforce the criminal law in the courts on behalf of the people of Ireland; direct and supervise public prosecutions on indictment in the courts; give general direction and advice to An Garda Síochána in relation to summary cases; and give specific direction to An Garda Síochána in cases where requested. Click here to learn more about the work of the Office of the DPP. Click here to access our suite of Plain English information booklets