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Courts and Court Officers Act 2002
Number 15 of 2002
COURTS AND COURT OFFICERS ACT 2002
REVISED
Updated to 1 October 2026
This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the Courts and Court Officers Act 2002. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.
All Acts up to and including the Development (Strategic Gas Reserve) Act 2026 (36/2026), enacted 23 July 2026, and all statutory instruments up to and including the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 (Property Vesting Day) Order 2026 (S.I. No. 503 of 2026), made 1 October 2026, were considered in the preparation of this Revised Act.
Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email to revisedacts@lawreform.ie.
Number 15 of 2002
COURTS AND COURT OFFICERS ACT 2002
REVISED
Updated to 1 October 2026
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Preliminary and General
Section
1.
Short title, commencement, construction and collective citation.
2.
3.
Qualification of Judges
4.
Amendment of section 5 of Act of 1961.
5.
Amendment of section 17 of Act of 1961.
6.
Periods of practice as barrister and solicitor reckonable.
7.
Amendment of section 14 of Law Reform Commission Act 1975.
Judicial Appointments
8.
Amendment of section 16 of Act of 1995.
9.
Amendment of section 17 of Act of 1995.
10.
Vacation of certain offices before appointment to judicial office.
11.
Annual Report of Judicial Appointments Advisory Board.
12.
Completion of partly heard cases by judge appointed to higher court.
Circuit Court and District Court
13.
Extension of jurisdiction of Circuit Court. (Repealed)
14.
Extension of jurisdiction of District Court. (Repealed)
15.
Amendment of Third Schedule to Act of 1961. (Repealed)
16.
Amendment of section 115 of Finance Act 1993. (Repealed)
17.
Amendment of section 17 of Act of 1981. (Repealed)
18.
Amendment of section 15(2) of Act of 1991. (Repealed)
19.
20.
21.
22.
Amendment of Second Schedule to Act of 1995.
23.
Amendment of section 9 of Court Officers Act 1945.
24.
Amendment of section 79 of Courts of Justice Act 1924.
25.
Amendment of section 7(6) of Courts Act 1964.
26.
Number of ordinary judges of Circuit Court.
27.
Number of judges of District Court.
Miscellaneous
28.
Number of ordinary judges of High Court.
29.
Amendment in specified case of Part I of Second Schedule to Act of 1961.
30.
Interest on costs, charges or expenses of certain judgments, orders or decrees.
31.
Amendment of section 7(8)(c) of Courts of Justice and Court Officers (Superannuation) Act 1961.
32.
Amendment of section 4(2) of Charities Act 1973.
33.
34.
Amendment of section 61(3)(h) of Bankruptcy Act 1988.
35.
Attorney General to be member of committees on rules of court.
36.
Appointment of persons to act in place of certain members of committees on rules of court.
37.
Amendment of section 9 of Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments Act 1998.
38.
Amendment of section 8 of Act of 1998.
39.
Authentication of certain orders and other instruments made by Courts Service.
40.
Amendment of section 13 of Act of 1998.
41.
Delegation of performance of functions of Board of Courts Service.
42.
Amendment of section 15 of Act of 1998.
43.
Amendment of section 20 of Act of 1998.
44.
45.
Performance of function under section 44(2) of Act of 1936.
46.
Register of reserved judgments.
Enactments Repealed
Extension of Monetary Limit of Jurisdiction of Circuit Court
Extension of Monetary Limit of Jurisdiction of District Court
Acts Referred to
Air Pollution Act 1987
Animal Remedies Act 1993
Attorneys' and Solicitors' Act 1870
33 & 34 Vict., c. 28
Bail Act 1997
Bankruptcy Act 1988
Charities Act 1961
Charities Act 1973
Court Officers Act 1945
Court Officers Acts 1926 to 1999
Courts Act 1964
Courts Act 1981
Courts Act 1991
Courts Act 1996
Courts and Court Officers Act 1995
Courts (Establishment and Constitution) Act 1961
Courts (No. 2) Act 1991
Courts (No. 2) Act 1997
1997, No. 43
Courts of Justice Act 1924
Courts of Justice Act 1936
Courts of Justice and Court Officers (Superannuation) Act 1961
Courts Service Act 1998
Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act 1961
Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Acts 1961 to 2000
Debtors (Ireland) Act 1840
3 & 4 Vict., c. 105
Enforcement of Court Orders Act 1926
Family Home Protection Act 1976
Family Law Act 1981
Family Law Act 1995
Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976
Finance Act1993
Finance Act 1995
Finance Act 2001
Foreshore (Amendment) Act 1992
Guardianship of Infants Act 1964
Harbours Act 1996
Hotel Proprietors Act 1963
International War Crimes Tribunals Act 1998
Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments Act 1998
Law Reform Commission Act 1975
Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977
Planning and Development Act 2000
Registration of Title Act 1964
Status of Children Act 1987
Wildlife Act 1976
Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000
Number 15 of 2002
COURTS AND COURT OFFICERS ACT 2002
REVISED
Updated to 1 October 2026
AN ACT TO AMEND THE DEBTORS (IRELAND) ACT 1840, THE COURTS OF JUSTICE ACT 1924, THE COURTS OF JUSTICE ACT 1936, THE COURT OFFICERS ACT 1945, THE COURTS OF JUSTICE AND COURT OFFICERS (SUPERANNUATION) ACT 1961, THE COURTS (ESTABLISHMENT AND CONSTITUTION) ACT 1961, THE COURTS (SUPPLEMENTAL PROVISIONS) ACT 1961, THE GUARDIANSHIP OF INFANTS ACT 1964, THE COURTS ACT 1964, THE CHARITIES ACT 1973, THE LAW REFORM COMMISSION ACT 1975, THE FAMILY LAW (MAINTENANCE OF SPOUSES AND CHILDREN) ACT 1976, THE BANKRUPTCY ACT 1988, THE COURTS AND COURT OFFICERS ACT 1995, THE BAIL ACT 1997, THE COURTS SERVICE ACT 1998, THE JURISDICTION OF COURTS AND ENFORCEMENT OF JUDGMENTS ACT 1998, TO AMEND VARIOUS ENACTMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING THE MONETARY LIMIT OF THE JURISDICTION OF THE CIRCUIT COURT, AND OF THE DISTRICT COURT, IN CIVIL MATTERS, TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A REGISTER TO BE KNOWN AS THE REGISTER OF RESERVED JUDGMENTS, TO REPEAL CERTAIN ENACTMENTS AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS. [10th April, 2002]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS: