Work in the District Court is technical and administrative in nature and, as such, an in-depth knowledge of procedure is crucial. For the first time, all aspects of the criminal proceedings in the District Court are comprehensively examined in a single source, Criminal Procedure in the District Court by Genevieve Coonan and Kate O?Toole.
This title is an essential brief-case companion for anyone practising criminal law in the District Court, providing detailed analysis in an accessible, user-friendly style and layout. Criminal Procedure in the District Court provides a complete explanation of the workings of the District Court, alongside an in-depth analysis of the related rules, case law and legislation. As well as answering many of the procedural questions that arise in the District Court,it also provides useful defences in respect of the most commonly prosecuted criminal offences, e.g. Public Order offences
*Brings clarity to District Court criminal procedure by means of a lucid, comprehensive account covering all areas
*Examines the main issues that arise around the pre-charge detention of suspects at the Garda Station
*Provides a thorough examination of the jurisdiction of the District Court, including the limits of same, the categories of offence triable summarily and the procedure where offences are to be returned for trial on indictment
*Considers the rules and time limits applicable to the initiation of a criminal prosecution before the District Court
*Comprehensively explains the process surrounding applications for legal aid
*Gives a detailed treatment of a whole range of procedural issues that arise in the context of a criminal prosecution, including bail, disclosure, amendment of proceedings, hearings etc. *Includes a useful chapter dedicated to frequently prosecuted offences including: Public Order Offences; Theft and Fraud Offences; Road Traffic Offences; Offences involving violence; Possession Offences; Failure to Appear
*Chronicles all of the significant developments in relation to District Court criminal jurisdiction over the past 10 years
*Is accompanied by a number of useful appendices, setting out, for example, those offences which constitute ?serious offences? for the purposes of the Bail Act 1997.
About the Authors
Genevieve Coonan is a criminal barrister and co-author of the extremely successful title The Judge?s Charge in Criminal Trials (Round Hall, 2008).
Kate O?Toole is a criminal barrister and lectures in criminal law.
