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Adjourned Cases

  • 02-02-2014 1:39am
    #1
    thestar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 503 ✭✭✭


    Can anybody enlighten me as to why there are so many adjournments in the district court? Fair enough there are scenarios where time is need but the court notes from my local paper shows that a huge majority of cases are adjourned.


Comments

  • #2
    Sthm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 444 ✭✭Sthm


    I can't be specific because I don't have inside knowledge of working within the PPS. However, the criminal burden of proof is 'beyond reasonable doubt' and that can be fairly difficult to prove in some circumstances.

    There are many reasons for cases dragging on - to be honest, from experience of the defendant side, we could have a separate sub-forum dedicated to it, that's how vast a topic this is.


  • #3
    sawdoubters
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,288 ✭✭✭sawdoubters


    the courts are full,

    in every country


    after the first charge,it takes a few months to get evidence,witnesses etc


  • #4
    notbrazil
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 117 ✭✭notbrazil


    "Your worship, my client couldn't attend court today because he feels sick/is drunk/is on drugs/couldn't be bothered coming/is depressed/doesn't want to get fined, so could we have an adjournment?"

    The answer to your question is simple; legal aid. It is in a solicitor's interest to drag a case out as long as possible as it increases their fee. That is why cases are adjourned two or three times as the defendant pleads 'not guilty' only to end up pleading 'guilty' at the eleventh hour. It may sound like a conspiracy theory but it is probably the worst kept secret of the legal profession - and we're all paying for it!


  • #5
    thestar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 503 ✭✭✭thestar


    Yes notbrazil, I'm led to believe that what you are saying is correct


  • #6
    Sthm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 444 ✭✭Sthm


    notbrazil wrote: »
    "Your worship, my client couldn't attend court today because he feels sick/is drunk/is on drugs/couldn't be bothered coming/is depressed/doesn't want to get fined, so could we have an adjournment?"

    The answer to your question is simple; legal aid. It is in a solicitor's interest to drag a case out as long as possible as it increases their fee. That is why cases are adjourned two or three times as the defendant pleads 'not guilty' only to end up pleading 'guilty' at the eleventh hour. It may sound like a conspiracy theory but it is probably the worst kept secret of the legal profession - and we're all paying for it!

    That's how the media make it out. Some firms squeeze as much out of it as they can, but the reality is Legal Aid is not as lucrative for most firms as it's made out. Payments and requesting authority to take some actions are scrutinised quite heavily at times by the NILSC. It's not as simple as saying adjournments and such are down to squeezing the Legal Aid fund at all.

    When you're putting in quite a bit of work for a measly payment of £88.00 + VAT (the Legal Aid fee where initial advice and assistance is capped) then you can soon see it from the other side.


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