Courts Bill 2013
The new Courts Bill 2013 increases the jurisdiction of the District Court and Circuit Court in civil matters as follows:
- Circuit Court increased from €38,092 to €75,000
- District Court increased from €6,350 to €15,000
It was expected that these increases would be enacted in July but so far they have yet to be implemented.
The rationale would appear to be to reduce costs as cases that would have previously warranted High Court jurisdiction (excess €38,092) will now proceed in the Circuit Court.
It remains to be seen whether the changes will also affect the awards made by judges in civil cases, though it is probably expected that awards will be reduced accordingly too.