Lawyers who clog court lists by hoarding more cases than they are able to handle have been criticised by a judge. Judge Liam Devally said in the Circuit Civil Court yesterday that something would have to be done about "the jockeys who put their names down to ride five horses in the same race".
He was referring to barristers who regularly in the same day find themselves attempting to deal with up to five cases which may have been allotted to three or more judges' lists.
"I know there are pressures at the moment because barristers have a number of cases which they have brought to readiness for hearing," Judge Devally said. "Sometimes they have to hand over cases after having done a lot of the work but they should remember they are entitled to be paid for the work they have done to date", he said.
Judge Devally, who found himself in the situation of having no work to do because barristers involved in his cases were on their feet in other courts, said he had to think of litigants first and barristers second.
He did not intend remaining idle while he waited for a barrister to complete a case in another court and he intended in future to seek cases from other judges' lists if barristers were not ready to go on before him.