33.—In this Chapter—

F21["accounts" means—

(a) the general cash account,

(b) the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the High Court,

(c) the ledger account, and

(d) the special account for small balances;

(e) the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the Circuit Court, and

(f) the dormant funds of suitors of the District Court;]

“Accountant” means the Accountant of the Courts of Justice as provided for in section 16 of the Court Officers Act 1926;

“dormant account of the funds of suitors of the High Court” means the general ledger account for dormant balance maintained in accordance with Order 77 of the Rules of the Superior Courts, containing the balances of funds standing to the credit of ledger accounts carried over to the said ledger account by the Accountant together with the interest and dividends accruing thereon;

F22["dormant account of the funds of suitors of the Circuit Court" means the general ledger account for dormant balance maintained in accordance with Order 18 of the Circuit Court Rules, containing the balances of funds standing to the credit of ledger accounts carried over to the said ledger account by the Accountant, together with the interest and dividends accruing thereon;

"dormant funds of suitors of the District Court" means any funds for the time being lodged in, or under the control of, the District Court in civil proceedings, pursuant to any order of the District Court or statute or the District Court Rules for the time being in force, where no transaction has been effected on that fund for a period of not less than 15 years ending on the relevant date;]

“financial institution” means the person with which the accounts are maintained, being—

(a) a person in respect of whom a licence under section 9 of the Central Bank Act 1971 is in force, or

(b) a building society within the meaning of the Building Societies Act 1989;

F21[“fully indemnified” means, in relation to a person—

(a) that, in the case of funds in the form of money, the person has been paid the amount standing to his or her credit on the date that the funds were paid into—

(i) the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the High Court,

(ii) the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the Circuit Court, or

(iii) the dormant funds of suitors of the District Court,

as the case may be, and any interest accruing from that date, and

(b) that, in the case of funds other than in the form of money, the person has been paid the amount standing to his or her credit on the date of their realisation and any interest accruing thereon from that date;]

“general cash account” means the general cash account of the funds of suitors held with the financial institution in the name of the Accountant;

“ledger account” means an account opened in the name of the Accountant under—

(a) an order of the High Court or Supreme Court, or

(b) an Act of the Oireachtas,

into which any funds of suitors have been paid;

“small balances” means such moneys as, in accordance with rule 88 of Order 77 of the Rules of the Superior Courts, are carried over to the special account for small balances;

“special account for small balances” means the special account for small balances maintained for the purposes of the said rule 88.

34.—(1) The Chief Justice shall, as soon as may be after the commencement of this Chapter, order the Accountant to realise all of the investments of the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the High Court.

(2) The Chief Justice shall, not later than 3 months after—

(a) the expiration of 5 years from the making of an order under subsection (1), and

(b) the expiration of each subsequent period of 5 years from the date on which an order under this section is made,

order the Accountant to realise all of the investments of the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the High Court.

(3) The Accountant shall comply with an order of the Chief Justice under this section.

(4) In this section “investments” means, in relation to the dormant account of the funds of suitors, assets other than cash.

34A.—(1) The Chief Justice shall, as soon as may be after the commencement of section 53 of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023, order the Accountant to realise all of the investments of—

(a) the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the Circuit Court, and

(b) the dormant funds of suitors of the District Court.

(2) The Chief Justice shall, not later than 3 months after—

(a) the expiration of 5 years from the making of an order under subsection (1), and

(b) the expiration of each subsequent period of 5 years from the date on which an order under this section is made,

order the Accountant to realise all of the investments of—

(i) the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the Circuit Court, and

(ii) the dormant funds of suitors of the District Court.

(3) The Accountant shall comply with an order of the Chief Justice under this section.

(4) In this section, "investments" means, in relation to the dormant account of the funds of suitors, assets other than cash.]

F24[35.—(1) The financial institution shall pay out of the general cash account to the Exchequer such sums as the Chief Justice, from time to time, directs, not exceeding 97. 5 per cent of the aggregate of the amounts in the form of money standing in—

(a) the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the High Court,

(b) the special account for small balances,

(c) the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the Circuit Court, and

(d) the dormant funds of suitors of the District Court, as may be required for the purposes of subsection (2).

(2) The sums paid to the Exchequer pursuant to a direction under subsection (1) may be applied from time to time, by the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, for the purposes of defraying the costs of providing, managing and maintaining—

(a) court buildings under section 5 (d) of the Courts Service Act 1998, and

(b) information and communications technology facilities for courts, court offices and the Courts Service.]

36.— Where, by virtue of the compliance by the financial institution with a direction under section 35, the funds of suitors are not sufficient to enable suitors to be fully indemnified, the Minister for Finance shall, for the purpose of enabling them to be so indemnified F25[and on the request of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform], advance out of the Central Fund or the growing produce thereof such sum as he or she considers necessary.

37.—(1) The Accountant shall, not later than 3 months after the compliance by the financial institution concerned with a direction under section 35—

(a) first given after the passing of this Act, and

(b) each subsequent such direction where the sums paid to the Exchequer pursuant thereto exceed €100,000,

cause a notice of the payment of the sums to the Exchequer pursuant to the direction to be published in Iris Oifigiúil, the Law Society Gazette, two national daily newspapers and by such other means (if any) as he or she considers appropriate.

(2) The accountant shall, upon compliance by a financial institution with a direction under section 35, make all reasonable efforts to serve a notice in writing of the payment of the sums to the Exchequer pursuant to such a direction on such persons as have an entitlement to any of the funds for the time being standing to the credit of the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the High Court.

(3) The expenses incurred by the Accountant in complying with this section may where the Chief Justice so consents be paid out of funds standing for the time being in the dormant account of the funds of suitors of the High Court.

F26[38.—(1) The Accountant shall establish and maintain a register of funds of suitors (in this section referred to as the "register").

(2) The register shall contain the following particulars in respect of all funds paid into the dormant accounts of the funds of suitors of the High Court, the dormant accounts of the funds of suitors of the Circuit Court and the dormant funds of suitors of the District Court respectively:

(a) the court in which the proceedings were instituted;

(b) the title of the proceedings to which the funds relate;

(c) the names of the parties to those proceedings and the addresses at which they ordinarily reside;

(d) the ledger account number;

(e) the value of the investments realised in accordance with section 34 or section 34A on the date of their realisation;

(f) the date on which those funds were paid into the dormant accounts concerned;

(g) if those funds were repaid to the ledger account, the date on which they were so repaid;

(h) in relation to funds of suitors of the High Court, the account number of the special account for small balances;

(i) in relation to funds of suitors of the High Court, the moneys paid over to the special account for small balances, and

(j) such other matters as are provided for by rules of court or—

(i) in relation to funds lodged in proceedings in the High Court, as the President of the High Court directs,

(ii) in relation to funds lodged in proceedings in the Circuit Court, as the President of the Circuit Court directs, and

(iii) in relation to funds lodged in proceedings in the District Court, as the President of the District Court directs.

(3) Where funds have been registered under this Act prior to the commencement of section 55 of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023, that registration shall continue to have effect and such registration shall form part of the register maintained under subsection (1).]

39.—In this Chapter—

“Act of 1976” means the Family Home Protection Act 1976;

“Act of 1981” means the Courts Act 1981;

“Act of 1989” means the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act 1989;

“Act of 1991” means the Courts Act 1991;

“Act of 1995” means the Family Law Act 1995;

“Act of 1996” means F27[Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996;]

F28["Act of 2010" means the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010;

"broadcast" has the same meaning as it has in section 2 of the Broadcasting Act 2009;

"publish" means publish, other than by way of broadcast, to the public or a portion of the public;

"relevant enactment" means any of the following provisions:

(a) section 2(1B) (inserted by section 20 of the Courts Act 1971) of the Legitimacy Act 1931;

(b) section 45 of the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act 1961 (in so far as it relates to matrimonial causes or matters, or minor matters);

(c) section 25 of the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976;

(d) section 10 of the Act of 1976;

(e) section 36 of the Status of Children Act 1987;

(f) section 34 of the Act of 1989;

(g) section 7 of the Maintenance Act 1994;

F29[(h) section 33 (for the purposes of section 45(2) of the Domestic Violence Act 2018) or 38 of the Act of 1995;]

(i) section 38 of the Act of 1996;

F29[(j) section 23 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018;]

(k) section 18, 30, 31, 49, 54 or 92 of the Adoption Act 2010;

(l) section 145 or 199 of the Act of F30[2010;]]

F31[(m) section 37 of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023.]

40.—(1) In this section “court” includes the Master of the High Court.

(2) F34[…]

(3) Nothing contained in a relevant enactment shall operate to prohibit—

(a) the preparation by a barrister at law or a solicitor or a person falling within any other class of persons specified in regulations made by the Minister and publication of a report of proceedings to which the relevant enactment relates, or

(b) the publication of the decision of the court in such proceedings,

in accordance with rules of court, provided that the report or decision does not contain any information which would enable the parties to the proceedings or any child to which the proceedings relate to be identified and, accordingly, unless in the special circumstances of the matter the court, for reasons which shall be specified in the direction, otherwise directs, a person referred to in paragraph (a) may, for the purposes of preparing F35[such a report—

(i) attend the proceedings, and

(ii) have access to any relevant documents,

subject to any directions the court may give in that behalf.]

F36[(3A) (a) Subject to paragraph (b), nothing contained in a relevant enactment shall operate to prohibit bona fide representatives of the Press from attending proceedings to which the relevant enactment relates.

(b) Subject to paragraphs (c) and (d), where, in proceedings under a relevant enactment, a court is satisfied that it is necessary to do so—

(i) in order to preserve the anonymity of a party to the proceedings or any child to whom the proceedings relate,

(ii) by reason of the nature or circumstances of the case, or

(iii) as it is otherwise necessary in the interests of justice,

the court may, on its own motion, or on application to it by a party to the proceedings or by a person on behalf of a child to whom the proceedings relate, by order—

(I) exclude, or otherwise restrict the attendance of, bona fide representatives of the Press from the court during the hearing or particular parts of it, or

(II) prohibit or restrict the publication or broadcasting of any evidence given or referred to during the proceedings or any part of such evidence,

and any such order may, with regard to any restriction, contain such conditions as the court considers appropriate.

(c) In determining whether or not to make an order under paragraph (b), a court shall have regard to the desirability of promoting public confidence in the administration of justice and to any other matter that appears to it to be relevant and shall, in particular, have regard to the following:

(i) the best interests of a child to whom the proceedings relate;

(ii) the views, if any, of—

(I) a party to the proceedings, and

(II) a child to whom the proceedings relate who is, in the opinion of the court, capable of forming his or her own views;

(iii) whether information given or likely to be given in evidence is sensitive personal information;

(iv) the extent to which the attendance of bona fide representatives of the Press might inhibit or cause undue distress to a party to the proceedings or a child to whom the proceedings relate by reason of the emotional condition or any medical condition, physical impairment or intellectual disability of the party or the child concerned;

(v) the need to protect a party to the proceedings or a child to whom the proceedings relate against coercion, intimidation or harassment;

(vi) whether information given or likely to be given in evidence might be prejudicial to a criminal investigation or criminal proceedings;

(vii) whether information given or likely to be given in evidence is commercially sensitive information; and

(viii) whether information of the type referred to in subparagraphs (iii), (vi) and (vii) when taken together with other information would, if published or broadcast, be likely to lead members of the public to identify a party to the proceedings or a child to whom the proceedings relate.

(d) In considering the views of a child referred to in clause (II) of paragraph (c)(ii), a court shall take account of the age and level of maturity of the child concerned.

(e) Where evidence in proceedings to which a relevant enactment relates concerns a matter referred to in subparagraph (vi) of paragraph (c), an application under paragraph (b) may be made by or on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

(f) In this subsection—

"commercially sensitive information" means—

(i) financial, commercial, scientific, technical or other information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to result in a material financial loss or gain to the person to whom it relates, or could prejudice the competitive position of that person in the conduct of his or her business or otherwise in his or her occupation, or

(ii) information the disclosure of which could prejudice the conduct or outcome of contractual or other negotiations of the person to whom it relates;

"party to the proceedings" includes a witness in the proceedings;

"sensitive personal information" means information about a person that would, in the ordinary course of events, be known only to the person or members of the family, or friends, of the person, and includes but is not limited to—

(i) information relating to the medical, psychiatric or psychological history of the person,

(ii) information relating to the tax affairs of the person,

(iii) information relating to the sexual conduct or sexual orientation of the person.]

(4) Nothing contained in a relevant enactment shall operate to prohibit a party to proceedings to which the enactment relates from supplying copies of, or extracts from, orders made in the proceedings to such persons and in accordance with such conditions (if any) as may be prescribed by order of the Minister.

(5) Nothing contained in a relevant enactment shall operate to prohibit a party to proceedings to which the enactment relates from being accompanied, in such proceedings, in court by another person subject to the approval of the court and any directions it may give in that behalf.

(6) Nothing contained in an enactment that prohibits proceedings to which the enactment relates from being heard in public shall operate to prohibit the production of a document prepared for the purposes or in contemplation of such proceedings or given in evidence in such proceedings, to—

(a) a body or other person when it, or he or she, is performing functions under any enactment consisting of the conducting of a hearing, inquiry or investigation in relation to, or adjudicating on, any matter, or

(b) such body or other person as may be prescribed by order made by the Minister, when the body or person concerned is performing functions consisting of the conducting of a hearing, inquiry or investigation in relation to, or adjudicating on, any matter as may be so prescribed.

(7) Nothing contained in an enactment that prohibits proceedings to which the enactment relates from being heard in public shall operate to prohibit the giving of information or evidence given in such proceedings to—

(a) a body or other person when it, or he or she, is performing functions under any enactment consisting of the conducting of a hearing, inquiry or investigation in relation to, or adjudicating on, any matter, or

(b) such body or other person as may be prescribed by order made by the Minister, when the body or person concerned is performing functions consisting of the conducting of a hearing, inquiry or investigation in relation to, or adjudicating on, any matter as may be so prescribed.

F37[(7A) The leave of a court shall not be required for—

(a) the production of a document in accordance with subsection (6), or

(b) the giving of information or evidence in accordance with subsection (7).]

(8) A court hearing proceedings under a relevant enactment shall, on its own motion or on the application of one of the parties to the proceedings, have discretion to order disclosure of documents, information or evidence connected with or arising in the course of the proceedings to third parties if such disclosure is required to protect the legitimate interests of a party or other person affected by the proceedings.

(9) A hearing, inquiry or investigation referred to in subsection (6) or (7) shall, in so far as it relates to a document referred to in subsection (6) or information or evidence referred to in subsection (7), be conducted otherwise than in public and no such document, information or evidence shall be published.

(10) This section shall apply to proceedings brought, and decisions of a court made, whether before or after the commencement of this section.

F38[(11) In subsection (3), "relevant documents", in relation to any proceedings referred to in that subsection—

(a) subject to paragraph (b), means—

(i) the petition, summons or other originating document in the proceedings,

(ii) pleadings and other documents (including the terms of settlement, if any) produced to or lodged with the court, or included in the book of pleadings, in the course of the proceedings, and

(iii) any order made by the court in the proceedings,

(b) does not include any document the contents of which are expressed to be without prejudice or in terms having a like effect.]

40A.—No person shall publish or broadcast or cause to be published or broadcast any information about a matter which would be likely to lead members of the public to identify the parties to proceedings to which a relevant enactment relates or any child to whom those proceedings relate.

(2) If any matter is published or broadcast in contravention of subsection (1), each of the following persons, namely—

(a) in the case of publication in a newspaper or periodical, any proprietor, any editor and any publisher of the newspaper or periodical,

(b) in the case of any other publication, the person who publishes it, and

(c) in the case of a broadcast, any person who transmits or provides the programme in which the broadcast is made and any person having functions in relation to the programme corresponding to those of an editor of a newspaper,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable—

(i) on summary conviction, to a class A fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both, or

(ii) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or both.

(3) (a) Where an offence under this section is committed by a body corporate and it is proved that the offence was committed with the consent or connivance, or was attributable to any wilful neglect, of a person who was a director, manager, secretary or other officer of the body corporate, or a person purporting to act in that capacity, that person, as well as the body corporate, shall be guilty of an offence and may be proceeded against and punished as if he or she were guilty of the first-mentioned offence.

(b) Where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, paragraph (a) applies in relation to the acts and defaults of a member in connection with his or her functions of management as if he or she were a director or manager of the body corporate.

(4) Nothing in this section shall affect the law as to contempt of court.]

41.—(1) Section 30 of the Act of 2002 is amended by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (1):

“(1) Subject to section 23 of the Act of 1981, interest on the amount of costs, charges or expenses awarded to a party in proceedings in a court, to which section 27 of the Debtors (Ireland) Act 1840 applies, pursuant to a judgment, order or decree of the court, shall—

(a) not be payable until—

(i) if the amount aforesaid is agreed by the parties to the proceedings, the date of such agreement, or

(ii) in default of agreement—

(I) the date on which a certificate of taxation (which expression includes an interim certificate of taxation) in respect of the amount aforesaid is issued by a taxing master of the High Court or by a county registrar exercising the powers of such a taxing master, as may be appropriate, or

(II) if appropriate, in the case of proceedings in the Circuit Court, the date on which a county registrar measures the amount aforesaid in accordance with rules of court,

and

(b) be payable at the rate for the time being standing specified in section 26 of the Debtors (Ireland) Act 1840, from the appropriate date aforesaid until that amount is paid.”.

(2) Subsections (3) and (4) of section 30 of the Act of 2002 are repealed.

(3) The amendments to section 30 of the Act of 2002 effected by this section apply to—

(a) actions brought on or after the commencement of this section, and

(b) actions pending on the date of such commencement.

42.—The Eighth Schedule to the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act 1961 is amended by the insertion, in paragraph 6, of the following subparagraph:

“(1A) Each officer nominated under subparagraph (1) of this paragraph who stands directed to act as registrar to the High Court under that subparagraph shall (in addition to any other duties which may be assigned to him or her by the officer for the time being managing the Central Office) act as registrar to the Central Criminal Court as and when directed to so act by the officer for the time being managing the Central Office.”.

43.—Section 27 of the Court Officers Act 1926 is amended by the substitution of the following subsections for subsections (1) and (2):

“(1) In the event of the temporary absence or the temporary incapacity through illness of any Taxing-Master or in the event of the office of any Taxing-Master being vacant the Courts Service may appoint a deputy to execute the office of such Taxing-Master during such absence, incapacity or vacancy.

(1A) In any of the following cases, namely—

(a) the temporary absence or the temporary incapacity through illness of the Master of the High Court,

(b) the office of the Master of the High Court being vacant, or

(c) any other case in which the Courts Service considers it desirable that the following power be exercised,

the Courts Service may appoint one or more than one deputy to execute the office of the Master of the High Court or, as the case may be, to execute such office concurrently with the Master of the High Court.

(2) A deputy appointed under this section shall while his appointment continues have and exercise all the powers and authorities and shall perform and fulfil all the duties and functions of the officer whose deputy he is—

(a) in a case falling within subsection (1) or subsection (1A)(a) or (b) of this section, in place of their being exercised, performed and fulfilled by that officer, and

(b) in a case falling within paragraph (c) of subsection (1A), concurrently with their being exercised, performed and fulfilled by that officer.”.

44.—Section 38 of the Court Officers Act 1926 is amended by the substitution of the following subsections for subsection (3):

“(3) The county registrar of the county, county borough or other area (other than the county or county borough of Dublin) in which the Central Criminal Court is, for the time being, sitting shall perform the following functions, that is to say:

(a) the function of acting as registrar to that court, and

(b) the function of performing such powers and carrying out of such duties in relation to that court as are assigned to the registrar of the Central Criminal Court by rules of court,

when requested to so do by the officer for the time being managing the Central Office of the High Court.

(4) The functions performable by a county registrar pursuant to a request under subsection (3) shall be performed by a member of the staff of the Circuit Court Office in the county concerned to whom those functions have been delegated by that county registrar.”.

45.—(1) Section 2 of the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act 1961 is amended by the insertion, in subsection (1), of the following definition:

“ ‘market value’ means, in relation to land, the price that would have been obtained in respect of the unencumbranced fee simple were the land to have been sold on the open market, in the year immediately preceding the bringing of the proceedings concerned, in such manner and subject to such conditions as might reasonably be calculated to have resulted in the vendor obtaining the best price for the land.”.

(2) The Third Schedule to the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act 1961 is amended, in column (3), by the substitution of—

(a) “market value” for “rateable valuation” in each place that it occurs, and

(b) “€3,000,000” for “£200” (inserted by section 2(1)(d) of the Act of 1981) in each place that it occurs.

46.—Section 18 of the Registration of Title Act 1964 is amended by—

(a) the substitution, in subsection (2) (amended by section 3 of the Act of 1991), of—

(i) “market value” for “rateable valuation”, and

(ii) “€3,000,000” for “£200”,

and

(b) the insertion of the following subsection:

“(4) In this section ‘market value’ means, in relation to land, the price that would have been obtained in respect of the unencumbranced fee simple were the land to have been sold on the open market, in the year immediately preceding the bringing of the proceedings concerned, in such manner and subject to such conditions as might reasonably be calculated to have resulted in the vendor obtaining the best price for the land.”.

47.—Section 6 of the Succession Act 1965 is amended by—

(a) the substitution, in subsection (3) (inserted by section 4 of the Act of 1981), of—

(i) “market value” for “rateable valuation”, and

(ii) “€3,000,000” for “£200”,

and

(b) the insertion of the following subsection:

“(5) In this section ‘market value’ means, in relation to land, the price that would have been obtained in respect of the unencumbranced fee simple were the land to have been sold on the open market, in the year immediately preceding the bringing of the proceedings concerned, in such manner and subject to such conditions as might reasonably be calculated to have resulted in the vendor obtaining the best price for the land.”.

48.—Section 10 of the Act of 1976 is amended by—

(a) the substitution, in subsection (4) (inserted by section 13 of the Act of 1981), of—

(i) “market value” for “rateable valuation”, and

(ii) “€3,000,000” for “£200”,

and

(b) (i) the repeal of paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (5), and

(ii) the deletion, in paragraph (b) of subsection (5), of the words “or where such chattels are or immediately before such disposal or removal, were in a family home the rateable valuation of which does not exceed £20”,

(c) the insertion of the following subsection:

“(8) In this section ‘market value’ means, in relation to land, the price that would have been obtained in respect of the unencumbranced fee simple were the land to have been sold on the open market, in the year immediately preceding the bringing of the proceedings concerned, in such manner and subject to such conditions as might reasonably be calculated to have resulted in the vendor obtaining the best price for the land.”.

49.—The Courts (No. 3) Act 1986 is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 1:

“1.—(1) Proceedings in the District Court in respect of an offence may be commenced by the issuing, as a matter of administrative procedure, of a document (in this section referred to as a ‘summons’) to the prosecutor by the appropriate office.

(2) The issue of a summons may, in addition to being effected by any method by which the issue of a summons could be effected immediately before the enactment of section 49 of the Act of 2004, be effected by transmitting it by electronic means to the person who applied for it or a person acting on his or her behalf.

(3) An application for the issue of a summons may be made to the appropriate office by or on behalf of the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions, a member of the Garda Síochána or any person authorised by or under an enactment to bring and prosecute proceedings for the offence concerned.

(4) The making of an application referred to in subsection (3) of this section may, in addition to being effected by any method by which the making of an application for a summons could be effected immediately before the enactment of section 49 of the Act of 2004, be effected by transmitting it to the appropriate office by electronic means.

(5) Where an application for the issue of a summons is made to—

(a) an office referred to in paragraph (a) of the definition of ‘appropriate office’ in this section, the summons may, instead of its being issued by that office, be issued by an office referred to in paragraph (b) of that definition, or

(b) an office referred to in paragraph (b) of that definition, the summons may, instead of its being issued by that office, be issued by an office referred to in paragraph (a) of that definition.

(6) A summons shall—

(a) specify the name of the person who applied for the issue of the summons,

(b) specify the application date as respects the summons,

(c) state shortly and in ordinary language particulars of the alleged offence, the name of the person alleged to have committed the offence and the address (if known) at which he or she ordinarily resides,

(d) notify that person that he or she will be accused of that offence at a sitting of the District Court specified by reference to its date and location and, insofar as is practicable, its time, and

(e) specify the name of an appropriate District Court clerk.

(7) For the avoidance of doubt, particulars of the penalty to which a person guilty of the offence concerned would be liable are not required to be stated in a summons.

(8) Where the issue of a summons is effected in accordance with subsection (2) of this section, references to an original summons in any enactment relating to the service of summonses (whether the references employ the word ‘summons’ or the expression ‘original document’) shall be construed as references to a true copy of the summons.

(9) In any proceedings—

(a) a document purporting to be a summons shall be deemed to be a summons duly applied for and issued, and

(b) the date specified in the summons as being the application date shall be deemed to be such date,

unless the contrary is shown.

(10) In any proceedings in which the issue of a summons was effected in accordance with subsection (2) of this section, a true copy of the summons shall, unless the contrary is shown, be evidence of the summons concerned.

(11) A summons duly issued under this Act shall be deemed for all purposes to be a summons duly issued pursuant to the law in force immediately before the passing of this Act.

(12) Any provision made by or under any enactment passed before the passing of this Act relating to the time for making a complaint in relation to an offence shall apply, with any necessary modifications, in relation to an application under subsection (3) of this section.

(13) The procedures provided for in this section in relation to applications for, and the issue of, summonses are without prejudice to any other procedures in force immediately before the passing of this Act whereby proceedings in respect of an offence can be commenced and, accordingly, any of those other procedures may be adopted, where appropriate, as if this Act had not been passed.

(14) In this section—

‘Act of 2004’ means the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004;

‘application date’ means, in relation to a summons, the date on which the application for the issue of the summons was received by the appropriate office;

‘appropriate District Court clerk’ means, in relation to a summons, a District Court clerk assigned to any district court area in the district court district in which a judge of the District Court has jurisdiction in relation to the offence to which the summons relates;

‘appropriate office’ means, in relation to a summons—

(a) the office of any District Court clerk assigned to any district court area in the district court district in which a judge of the District Court has jurisdiction in relation to the offence to which the summons relates, or

(b) any office of the Courts Service designated by the Courts Service for the purpose of receiving applications referred to in subsection (3) of this section;

‘prosecutor’ includes a person acting on behalf of the prosecutor;

‘summons’ has the meaning assigned to it by subsection (1);

‘true copy’ means, in relation to a summons the issue of which was effected in accordance with subsection (2), a document that purports to be a reproduction in writing of the summons certified by the prosecutor as being a true copy thereof.”.

50.—Section 31 of the Act of 1989 is amended by—

(a) the substitution, in subsection (3), of—

(i) “market value” for “rateable valuation”, and

(ii) “€3,000,000” for “£200”,

and

(b) the insertion of the following subsection:

“(6) In this section ‘market value’ means, in relation to land, the price that would have been obtained in respect of the unencumbranced fee simple were the land to have been sold on the open market, in the year immediately preceding the bringing of the proceedings concerned, in such manner and subject to such conditions as might reasonably be calculated to have resulted in the vendor obtaining the best price for the land.”.

51.—Section 38 of the Act of 1995 is amended by—

(a) the substitution, in subsection (3), of—

(i) “market value” for “rateable valuation”, and

(ii) “€3,000,000” for “£200”,

(b) the repeal of subsection (5), and

(c) the insertion of the following subsection:

“(9) In this section ‘market value’ means, in relation to land, the price that would have been obtained in respect of the unencumbranced fee simple were the land to have been sold on the open market, in the year immediately preceding the bringing of the proceedings concerned, in such manner and subject to such conditions as might reasonably be calculated to have resulted in the vendor obtaining the best price for the land.”.

52.—Section 38 of the Act of 1996 is amended by—

(a) the substitution in subsection (2) of—

(i) “market value” for “rateable valuation”, and

(ii) “€3,000,000” for “£200”,

(b) the repeal of subsection (4), and

(c) the insertion of the following subsection:

“(8) In this section ‘market value’ means, in relation to land, the price that would have been obtained in respect of the unencumbranced fee simple were the land to have been sold on the open market, in the year immediately preceding the bringing of the proceedings concerned, in such manner and subject to such conditions as might reasonably be calculated to have resulted in the vendor obtaining the best price for the land.”.

53.—(1) Section 90 of the Act of 2000 is amended, in subsection (5), by—

(a) the substitution of—

(i) “market value” for “rateable valuation” in each place that it occurs, and

(ii) “€3,000,000” for “£200” in each place that it occurs,

and

(b) the insertion of the following paragraph:

“(d) In this subsection ‘market value’ means, in relation to land, the price that would have been obtained in respect of the unencumbranced fee simple were the land to have been sold on the open market, in the year immediately preceding the bringing of the proceedings concerned, in such manner and subject to such conditions as might reasonably be calculated to have resulted in the vendor obtaining the best price for the land.”.

(2) Section 160 of the Act of 2000 is amended, in subsection (5), by—

(a) the substitution of—

(i) “market value” for “rateable valuation” in each place that it occurs, and

(ii) “€3,000,000” for “£200” in each place that it occurs,

and

(b) the insertion of the following paragraph:

“(e) In this subsection ‘market value’ means, in relation to land, the price that would have been obtained in respect of the unencumbranced fee simple were the land to have been sold on the open market, in the year immediately preceding the bringing of the proceedings concerned, in such manner and subject to such conditions as might reasonably be calculated to have resulted in the vendor obtaining the best price for the land.”.

(3) In this section “Act of 2000” means the Planning and Development Act 2000.

53A.—(1) Where—

(a) in any enactment a monetary amount is specified for the market value of land for the purpose of—

(i) conferring or limiting the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court in civil proceedings, or

(ii) requiring or authorising the Circuit Court to transfer civil proceedings to the High Court,

and

(b) the plaintiff or applicant in any such proceedings alleges that the market value of the land concerned does not exceed such monetary amount,

it shall, in the proceedings concerned, be presumed, until the contrary is proved, that the market value of such land does not exceed the foregoing amount.

(2) This section shall not apply to civil proceedings initiated before the passing of the Courts Act 2016.]

54.—(1) The court in a personal injuries action may, upon the application of a party to the action, direct that a person (other than another party to the action or an expert witness) who it is intended will be called to give evidence at the trial of the action shall not attend that trial until he or she is called to give evidence.

(2) Where a court gives a direction under subsection (1), it may give all such other directions as it considers necessary or expedient to secure that a witness to whom the first-mentioned direction applies does not—

(a) communicate with other witnesses who it is intended will be called to give evidence at the trial of the action concerned, or

(b) receive information such as might influence him or her when giving evidence.

(3) In this section “expert witness” means, in relation to a personal injuries action, a person who it is intended will be called as a witness to give expert evidence at the trial of that action.

55.—Section 46 of the Act of 2002 is amended by—

(a) the substitution of the following subsections for subsections (3), (4) and (5):

“(3) Subject to subsection (6), if judgment in the proceedings concerned is not delivered before the expiration of 2 months from the date on which it is reserved, the President of the Court shall, as soon as may be after—

(a) the said expiration, and

(b) the expiration of each subsequent period of 2 months (if judgment is not delivered first),

list the proceedings or cause them to be listed before the judge who reserved judgment therein and shall give notice in writing to the parties to the proceedings of each date on which the proceedings are listed in accordance with this section.

(3A) If, apart from this subsection, subsection (3) would operate to require the President of the Court to do anything referred to in that subsection during a period when the court is in vacation, then that subsection shall be construed as requiring that President to do that thing as soon as may be after the expiration of that period.

(4) Where proceedings are listed before a judge in accordance with subsection (3), the judge shall specify the date on which he or she proposes to deliver judgment in the proceedings.

(5) The date specified by a judge under subsection (4) shall, in relation to the proceedings concerned, be entered in the register and where the proceedings concerned have been listed more than once in accordance with subsection (1), there shall be entered in the register on each occasion on which they are so listed the date, for the time being, standing so specified.”,

(b) the deletion of paragraph (b) of subsection (9),

(c) the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (10):

“(10) In this section references to a judge shall, in the case of a court constituted of more than one judge, be construed as references to the judge who, among the judges of which the court was constituted, ranks first in order of precedence in accordance with section 9 (inserted by section 9 of the Courts (No. 2) Act 1997) of the Courts of Justice Act 1924.”,

(d) the insertion of the following definition in subsection (11):

“ ‘President of the Court’ means—

(a) in relation to the District Court, the President of the District Court,

(b) in relation to the Circuit Court, the President of the Circuit Court,

(c) in relation to the High Court, the President of the High Court,

(d) in relation to the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice;”.

56.—The Courts and Court Officers Act 1995 is amended by—

(a) the substitution of the following section for section 9 (inserted by section 2 of the Courts and Court Officers (Amendment) Act 2003):

“9.—The number of ordinary judges of the High Court shall not be more than 31.”,

(b) the substitution of the following section for section 10 (inserted by section 26 of the Act of 2002):

“10.—The number of ordinary judges of the Circuit Court shall not be more than 33.”,

and

(c) the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (1) (inserted by section 27(1) of the Act of 2002) of section 11:

“(1) The number of judges of the District Court in addition to the President of the District Court shall not be more than 54.”.