Courts Service received 131 formal complaints in 2021

An allegation of a forged signature, a lack of social distancing in court, and frosty conditions inside a courthouse were among the complaints made to the Courts Service last year. The Courts Service said it had received a total of 131 formal complaints in 2021, of which more than 20 related directly to the performance of judges.

In September a person alleged there was a signature forged on court documents while in another case in November a person who made a complaint said a copy of it had been shown to the solicitor they had raised concerns about.

A complaint about the lack of heating in Galway courthouse was made in December, while the absence of social distancing at Cork Circuit Court was flagged in May.

Other service users complained of having to turn up at court only for their case not to be heard, while there were multiple issues logged with people trying to get in contact with offices, according to a log provided under Freedom of Information.

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The Courts Service said investigations of 121 of the 131complaints had already been completed and finalised. It made every effort to ensure services were provided in a “friendly, courteous, and efficient manner”.