I recently did experience with the Irish Courts Service - Criminal Courts of Justice, The Four Courts, Phoenix House and Aras Uí Dháiligh
On the first day my aunty – a barrister in the four courts – dropped me into the Criminal Courts of Justice where i had originally thought i had work experience with. When we arrived we were waiting around and we noticed that it was particularly quiet and that i was the only young person in the building so we went to the front desk to ask where i have to go, the receptionist of course didn't have a clue what i was talking about and said they weren't expecting anyone on work experience, so me and my aunty rang around various offices trying to find out where i am supposed to be, after 10 minutes of trying we finally got through to someone to be told that i was supposed to be in Phoenix House Smithfield, so at this stage i was already half an hour late on my first day so i got the luas from Heuston and got out at Smithfield. I went in to Phoenix house and went to reception and asked where to go, the man at the desk told me that yeah ill call your supervisor down, so after taking a seat and waiting he came over to be to tell me that my supervisor and the other TY has gone to the Criminal Courts of Justice, yes where i just came from.
So as you can imagine i was really annoyed at this stage, i was told again to take a seat and wait for my supervisor to come back, so after waiting for half an hour (at this stage my patience was completely gone) my supervisor arrived back wondering why i was so late, i explained the story and i was brought to my first area of placement which was in the Probate Office of Phoenix House.
Here i spent tine in various offices with various people learning about the law behind wills. I know it sounds boring but it was actually interesting and thankfully everyone working there was sound and looked after me well. I got to a see a will as it goes through its various stages of being legalised. I also got to see the will archives and even got a copy of Ronnie Drew and James Joyce's will so that was cool.
After having lunch in the canteen i met my supervisor in the lobby of Phoenix House and she brought me to the Criminal Courts of Justice where i met with the Appeal Court Office staff, i got to look at the paperwork of a few cases that were taking place in the courts that day and then i got to sit a trial on armed robbery and drink-driving.
Tuesday 25th January
Today I was brought to the Four Courts. Here i was introduced to my supervisor in the four courts, Brendan, who was without a doubt one of the nicest and most respectable people i have ever met. Brendan works in the General Offices of the Four Courts. Brendan taught me lots about the various courts and the various jobs that have to be done i them, he brought me to see the Four Court Archives which has every case that has passed through the courts since the 1950's. After seeing the archives we went to sit a Financial Law case in the Circuit Courts, it was difficult to understand as it was just a clear up of a case which had already been concluded. After this Brendan introduced me to a Senior registrar who i shadowed for a few hours, she was also really sound so i enjoyed my time with her. She brought me to the Masters Court, at the Master's Court all barristers assemble before a Senior Counsel Barrister (Master) and present any problems they are having with cases and to adjurn cases for a period of time. Its quite funny to witness because they all stand up one by one pleading to the master to allow them to adjourn cases, at first you think ah the master is grand hes really easy on them, but when it comes to actually interrogating the as to why they need the case adjurned it gets very intense, a lot of shouting, a lot of lecturing, a lot of sheepish looking barristers looking everywhere except for the master speechlessly. One of them actually got threatened to lose their jobs, poor girl haha.
After a good lunch I made my way back to the Criminal Courts of Justice where i sat another trial, this time I sat a trial about a Nigerian woman who was human trafficked and sold as a prostitute in Ireland. It was infatuating. To see all the barristers at work and witness a real life case with real people and real witnesses.
Wednesday 25th January
Today I went straight to the Four Courts to meet Brendan, I spent the morning helping the front desks deal with solicitors and document legalising, i then did some filing with Brendan before going to see some Personal Injury trials, i sat one about a man who had fractured his lumber spine and was suing a consultant for putting him on the wrong course of treatment, i also sat a court case about carers who were being sued for mistreatment of a child with Cerebral Paulsey. They were really interesting cases. Afterwards I got my lunch and then went back to the Criminal Courts of Justice to watch the follow up case on the nigerian woman involved in prostitution and human trafficking.
Thursday 26th January
In my final day of placement I met my supervisor at Phoenix House to discover that there had been another TY on placement with the Courts Service, a girl from Donabate, but they had kept us separated (I must've looked dodgy).
My supervisor brought us to Áras Uí Dháiligh, which is the building with the Dublin Civil Office and a few family law corts. I spent the morning sitting a civil law case between the Sunday World and a man who claimed they accused him of a crime he had nothing to do with. Afterwards, I spent time in the offices and then I got my lunch. After lunch, I went back up to the Criminal Court of Justice where this time i was put with the other TY. We were to get a tour of the courts with a solicitor, with us were a class of TY's from The Assumption, Walkinstown. During the tour we got to do a mock trial (I was Superintendent) , apparently i look like a Garda. Afterwards we got to sit another case, we ended up sitting the same case I had been following all week, this time there was loads of witnesses so it was extremely interesting.
I got to know the other TY doing work experience quite well on the tour, we got on well. After the tour was finished we went back to Phoenix House where we received a certificate from the Courts Service and a photograph with the CEO.
Overall Evaluation: I really enjoyed my placement with the courts service, everyone i was working with were lovely and i learned a lot about law and career opportunities in Law. If i was to pursue a career in Law it would be as a barrister and not as a solicitor. I would definitely consider Law now after the placement.
