Murder cases face delays over psychiatric report shortages

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Murder cases at the Central Criminal Court faced delays over defence psychiatric reports, reported on 6 March 2024.

The report said fewer psychiatrists were available for defence assessments, creating a backlog and making it harder to prepare reports and replies. It described disputes over Criminal Legal Aid fees and approved hours; the Department of Justice said it knew of one murder trial where a fee issue might delay proceedings, but that no delay arose in that case.