The lack of specific provision for civil restraining orders was a striking feature of Irish law for decades. Domestic violence orders have been available since 1996 and while they provide court protection for spouses, partners and certain people in defined relationships, those protections were often not wide enough. Many victims of stalking and harassment were […]
Tag Archivescriminal law
Child restraints in cars
The importance of appropriate child restraints in cars cannot be overstated. According to the Road Safety Authority, 262 children died on Irish roads between 1996 and 2012 and in almost one third of those cases no child restraints or safety belts were used. A fixed charge notice or court summons for failing to use a […]
Late payment of fixed charge penalties
As the District Courts reopened this month after the summer break there has been some good news for drivers who get fine notices for road traffic offences but fail to pay within the 56 days allowed. Since 1 June 2017, a third payment option has been introduced and while the amount of the fine doubles, […]
Driving without insurance can be catastrophic
A lot of factors are blamed for the dramatic increase in the cost of car insurance over the past two years and while some are questionable at best, there is no doubt that the increase in uninsured drivers is an issue. There is now a renewed focus on uninsured drivers and, combined with a recent […]
With car insurance, read the small print
In recent years there appears to have been an increase in cancelled car insurance policies. The consequences of this can be severe, so it is more important than ever to make sure that you have complied with all your obligations when taking out insurance, and that you know the conditions of your insurance when you […]
Court of Appeal overturns Irish language drink driving decision
We wrote last September about a High Court decision which found that drink driving prosecutions based on breath/alcohol tests produced by a breathalyser machine in the English language only were invalid. The High Court ruled that the law required test results to be produced in both English and Irish, with both language versions given to […]
A victory for motorists over mindless bureaucracy
The Garda fixed charge processing office should no longer refuse to accept fixed charge payments due to minor omissions on fixed charge notices. A High Court ruling has found that the Gardaí are not entitled to refuse to process payments in such cases, which is good news for motorists who could otherwise face conviction, higher […]
Paying court fines by instalment
At long last it is possible to pay court fines by instalment, through An Post branches or online. This is a significant improvement on previous rules which only allowed payment in one lump sum, but the payment rules are complicated and it is important to check the details of the fine notice so that the […]
Can you be fined when your car was speeding but you weren’t driving?
Most speeding offences are dealt with by fixed charge notices, a form of speeding ticket you get in the post. If you fill out the form and send a the fine to the Garda fixed charge processing office you receive 3 penalty points on your licence. If you do not, you will have to go […]
Smoking in cars
From New Year’s Day you can be fined €100 for smoking in a car while children are present. However, drivers should be cautious of smoking while driving even if no children are present. A new law introduced in 2014 provided for a ban on smoking in the presence of children while in a car but […]