Modernising Staffing and Court Management Practices in Ireland

Annex D. Key data needed for effective judicial workload tracking in Ireland

The below tables provide suggestions for the main, minimum data that should be regularly collected and analysed to provide judges and the Courts Service with needed case management and resource management information. The data need to track how cases move through the system, if and when they move out and why, how long each event takes (at least by days), and when a judge is involved.

Additional data points needed per case – all business: Lay litigant, translation needed during hearing (not just requested), child witness, possibly other complexity indicator.

Definitions needed: case = matter by record number; case type = matter by sub-category/complexity; case actions = motion, application, hearing, decisions type. Definitions have to follow set data collection points.

 

Civil and family law business (by case type)
All incoming (= number of cases filed – i.e. record number assigned)	Cases withdrawn, settled before ready for hearing or listing (or any judicial actions)	All cases coming to a judge	Cases ready for hearing/ listed	Cases withdrawn, settled before next processing step	Interlocutory hearings (by type and reason)	Interlocutory hearings adjourned, reason for adjournment, number of interlocutory hearing days	Cases settled/ withdrawn	Substantive trials*	Hearings adjourned, reason for adjournment, number of hearing days	Cases settled after start of hearing	Cases appealed, appeal decision

Note: *If there are other sperate hearings involving a judge related to case these must be tracked in the same manner.

 

Criminal law business (by case type)

All incoming (= number of cases filed – i.e. record number assigned)

Bail hearings

Cases withdrawn/nolle prosequi, TIC-non-conviction, accused deceased, before ready for hearing or listing (or any judicial actions)

All cases coming to a judge, excluding bail hearings

Cases ready for hearing/ listed

Cases withdrawn, nolle prosequi, guilty plea, guilty of lesser charge before next processing step

Cases plead out before start of hearing

Not guilty by direction of judge

Substantive trials

Hearings adjourned, reason for adjournment, number of hearing days

Guilty by jury, no result, not guilty by jury, not guilty reason of insanity, unfit to plea

Sentencing hearings – by number of days, record any adjournments

Cases appealed, appeal decision