Law Mattersis a new legal page which will be published in The Irish Timesevery Monday of the legal term. It is edited by Dr Carol Coulter,Legal Affairs Editor
It will contain synopses of the most important recent judgments from the Supreme Court, High Court and Court of Criminal Appeal. These will not be law reports in the traditional sense of the term, but summaries containing the key legal points in the judgments.
This new page comes at a time of continuing expansion in the legal system, with the establishment of a Commercial Court, the continuing growth in the number of judicial reviews and preparation for the expansion of criminal justice facilities in the new criminal court complex. In 2006, the last year for which figures are available, 202 appeals were disposed of by the Supreme Court and 67 judgments delivered, 329 were disposed of in the Court of Criminal Appeal, many including written judgments, and 541 written judgments were delivered in the High Court.
New law is made by the higher courts every week in areas as diverse as criminal law, family law, asylum law, planning law, medical negligence, tort and, of course, company and commercial law.
In addition to summaries of judgments, we will, from time to time, publish commentary on and analysis of important legal developments. Law Matterswill also contain news and information from the legal world.