Croke Park has been earmarked to hold criminal trials for the first three months of 2021, having been let to the Courts Service to provide courtrooms from mid-January onwards.
The Courts Service says it has worked with the GAA to provide suitable and safe facilities for those who are required to appear before the courts, practitioners who might work there, judges, staff, the Irish Prison Service, and An Garda Síochána.
Three courts and 200 sitting days
The new facility will allow for three courts to sit, and it is planned to provide up to 200 court-sitting days during the agreement, from January to March 2021.
The initiative is part of the Courts Service’s plan to ensure that as much court business as possible can continue safely during the pandemic.
To lessen the impact on the ordinary routine of those involved in criminal trials, those trials expected to take longer will be listed for Croke Park.
Shorter trials for CCJ
“Trial courts in the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ) in Parkgate Street will continue to focus on trials which typically take a shorter time to hear – minimising the turnover numbers who will need to attend the Croke Park facility,” the Courts Service says.
The cost of hiring the venue is €437,000.
Courts Service CEO Angela Denning said it had been challenging to try to facilitate criminal trials in suitable and safe locations across the country during the pandemic.
‘Adversarial battles’
“We will use Croke Park to ensure this track record of safety is continued as we provide access to justice in safe and suitable conditions,” she said. “The facilities provide a venue which is respectful of the importance of the proceedings which will take place there, and which respects the professional needs and the security, privacy and dignity of all court users."
The GAA’s Head of Stadium Business, Mark Dorman, said it was appropriate that this great national venue should be used as a vital support for the democratic functioning of the country: “Croke Park is not unused to great adversarial battles, and provides a suitable arena to hold courts,” he added.