IRISH COURT PROCEEDINGS take three times longer than the Council of Europe average, according to a new report by the Law Society of Ireland.
The Law Society’s Centre for Justice and Law Reform assessed the performance of core elements of Ireland’s justice system compared to other jurisdictions in its first report of its kind.
The Law Society of Ireland said the purpose of the report is to provide policymakers with reliable and objective evidence to inform decision-making.
The report found that Ireland’s rate of sexual offences 43% higher than the European Union average, while Ireland’s rate of theft is 14% higher than the EU average.
The report also highlighted that spending on courts in Ireland is 25% less than the Council of Europe average, and Ireland also had the lowest number of judges per 100,000 population in the Council of Europe.
Spending on Irish prisons in Ireland is 16% less than the EU average, but prison occupancy rates were higher than the EU average.
However, Ireland’s homicide rate is 40% lower than the EU average, and public trust in courts and the judiciary is 27% higher in Ireland compared to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average.
The report also found high levels of public trust in the gardaí. Although the number of gardaí per 100,000 of the population is decreasing, it is above average across other jurisdictions reviewed.
The level of spending on Ireland’s policing was also flagged as it has increased every year from 2019 to 2026 and is now 28% higher than the EU average.
Law Society president, Rosemarie Loftus, said: “The Centre for Justice and Law Reform is a research centre established by the Law Society to improve the justice system and shape law reform to better serve the public interest.”
“Reform of the justice system should be underpinned by reliable data and rigorous analysis. This approach enhances the quality of policymaking and will reinforce public trust and confidence.
“It is our hope that this research paper will assist all policymakers who impact the justice system in the allocation of resources, and support the development of fair, transparent, and effective justice policies.”
