Chapter 13 of 13 · Your court · The districts

How the District Court is organised

Checked 15 Oct 2026the Courts of Justice Act 1924 and Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act 1961 and the Courts Service's sittings pages.

The Dublin Metropolitan District and 23 numbered districts; the numbers run 1 to 25 with no 11 and no 14. The boundaries were last amended by a District Court (Districts) Order in March 2026. 70 judges sit, with a ceiling of 77 under the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2025; the President is Judge Paul Kelly. Each district has its own office, its own sittings pattern and, on this site, its own sponsor.

What the court does

Summary offences, and indictable offences that may be tried summarily where the judge accepts the matter as minor, the Director of Public Prosecutions consents and, for most of them, the accused does not elect trial by jury. Twelve months is the most the District Court can impose for one offence; consecutive sentences on several charges cannot exceed two years in all (Criminal Justice Act 1984, sections 11 and 12 as amended).

Civil claims up to €15,000, small claims up to €2,000, family law applications and licensing. District Court daily lists are not published online. The Legal Diary covers the higher courts. Lists are available from the local District Court office, and the Courts Service's news page carries per-venue adjournment and cancellation notices.

The Courts Service’s court-boundaries map gives the authoritative area for an address.

Information, not legal advice. Fixed charges, points, fees and court practice change, and no page here can say what a judge will do in a particular case, whether legal aid will be granted, or how a charge will end. Last verified 2026-10-15. CourtsWise is an independent site, not affiliated with the Courts Service, An Garda Síochána, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Legal Aid Board, the Road Safety Authority or any Government department. It covers the District Court of the Republic of Ireland only. For decisions about your own case, ask the judge for legal aid or speak to a solicitor regulated by the Law Society of Ireland.