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Jurisdiction of the Court Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court The Supreme Court, established pursuant to Article 34 of the Constitution of Ireland, is the court of final appeal. Jurisdiction transferred to the Court of Appeal The Court of Appeal exercises appellate jurisdiction "with such exceptions and subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by law" from all decisions of the High Court, and from such decisions of other courts as may be prescribed by law, occupying a new appellate jurisdictional tier between the High Court and the Supreme Court. In effect, appeals in civil proceedings from the High Court which prior to the Thirty-third Amendment would have been heard by the Supreme Court now lie to the Court of Appeal, except for those cases in which the Supreme Court has permitted an appeal to it on being satisfied that the appeal meets the threshold set out in Article 34.5.4 of the Constitution. Under the Court of Appeal Act 2014, the Court of Appeal was given the appellate jurisdiction previously exercised by the Court of Criminal Appeal, and questions of law which could previously be referred by the Circuit Court to the Supreme Court for determination (a "case stated") are now determinable by the Court of Appeal. Under the transitional arrangements comprised in the Thirty-third Amendment, the Chief Justice was empowered, if satisfied that it is in the interests of the administration of justice and the efficient determination of appeals to do so, with the concurrence of the other Judges of the Supreme Court, to direct that specified appeals pending in the Supreme Court which had been initiated before the establishment day and had not been fully or partly heard by that court shall be heard and determined by the Court of Appeal. Original Jurisdiction The Thirty-third Amendment did not affect the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, which in effect consists of the function, under Article 26 of the Constitution. Article 26 provides for a reference to the Supreme Court by the President of Ireland, after consultation with the Council of State, of Bills of the type prescribed in that Article for a decision as to whether any such Bill or specified provision(s) thereof is repugnant to the Constitution. Should the Court decide that the Bill, or any of its provisions, is incompatible with the Constitution it may not be signed or promulgated as law by the President. The Supreme Court also has limited original jurisdiction under Article 12.3.1 of the Constitution. Article 12.3.1 of the Constitution provides that only the Supreme Court, consisting of not less than five Judges, can establish whether the President of Ireland has become permanently incapacitated. Constitutional Jurisdiction Article 34.4.5 of the Constitution provides that no law may be enacted excepting from the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court cases which involve questions as to the validity of any law having regard to the provisions of the Constitution. As a result, the Supreme Court may be said to function as a constitutional court as it is the final arbiter in interpreting the Constitution of Ireland. This is a role of particular importance in Ireland, since the Constitution expressly permits the courts to review any law, whether passed before or after the enactment of the Constitution, in order to ascertain whether it is in confirmity with the Constitution. While such cases must be brought in the first instance in the High Court, there is an appeal from every such decision to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Subordinate legislation and administrative decisions may also be subjected to such constitutional scrutiny. Pronouncement of Decisions Occasionally, a decision of the Supreme Court is given directly following the hearing of an appeal in an ex tempore judgment. More often, the Court reserves its judgment and delivers it at a later date. The Supreme Court is a collegiate court, always consisting of a number of Judges. The decision of the Supreme Court is that of the majority. Each Judge in a case may deliver a separate judgment whether concurring or dissenting. The exception to this practice arises in the case where a Bill is referred to the Supreme Court by the President under Article 26 of the Constitution. In such cases the Constitution provides that the decision shall be pronounced by such Judge as the Court shall direct and that no other opinion on such question shall be pronounced nor shall the existence of any such other opinion be disclosed. Administration of Justice in Public The Constitution provides that justice shall be administered in public in all courts in Ireland, including the Supreme Court, save in such special and limited cases as may be prescribed by law. Supreme Court sittings in the vast majority of cases are therefore open to the public, with exceptions including those cases concerning family law and particular sexual offences.
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Dlínse na Cúirte Comhlíonann an Chúirt Uachtarach dhá phríomhról, tá sí ina cúirt bhunreachtúil agus ina cúirt achomhairc dheiridh. Is é ata inti go bunúsach ná an chúirt achomhairc deiridh ó chinntí nagCúirt Achomhairc agus ó chinntí áirithe na hArd-Chúirte le bundlínse teoranta sna ceisteanna a dtagraítear dóibh thíos. Is iad na Cúirteanna a bhunaigh Airteagal 34 den Bhunreacht, an Chúirt Uachtarach, and Chúirt Uachtarach agus an tArd-Chúirt, orgán breithiúnach an Rialtais. Forálann Airteagal 6 den Bhunreacht gurb ó na daoine a dtagann cumhachtaí go léir an Rialtais, idir cumhachtaí reachtúla, feidhmiúcháin agus breithiúnacha agus sonraíonn sé ina dhiaidh "Is leis na horgáin Stáit a chuirtear ar bun leis an mBunreacht seo, agus leo sin amháin nó lena n-údarás, is féidir na cumhachtaí riala sin a oibriú." Is é an Rialtas an t-orgán Stáit a chleachtann cumhacht fheidhmiúcháin an Rialtais, cleachtann an dá theach parlaiminte atá déanta suas den Oireachtas (a bhfuil an tUachtarán ina ceann air de réir teidil, i dteannta lena stádas bunreachtúil mar cheann an Stáit) cumhacht reachtúil an rialtais, agus cleachtann na cúirteanna a bhunaigh Airteagal 34 den Bhunreacht cumacht bhreithiúnach an rialtais. Áiríonn cumhacht bhreithiúnach rialtas na gcúirteanna sin an chumhacht athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar chomhoiriúnacht reachtanna don Bhunreacht agus athbhreithniú breithiúnach a dhéanamh ar fho-reachtaíocht, fo-chinntí nó fo-ghníomhartha de chuid an Rialtais nó comhlachtaí Stáit agus é mar aidhm a gcuid dlíthiúlachta, a gcomhoiriúnacht don Bhunreacht agus prionsabail ag éirí as an mBunreacht mar phróis chuí a shocrú. Déanann an Chúirt Achomhairc, ar achomharc ón Ard-Chúirt, athbhreithniú ar chinntí cúirteanna eile: an Chúirt Dúiche, an Chúirt Chuarda agus an Chúirt Choiriúil Speisialta. Féach freisin an chuid 'An Córas Dlíthiúil'). Dlínse achomhairc Cleachtann an Chúirt Uachtarach dlínse achomhairc ó gach cinneadh de chuid na Cúirte Achomhairc faoi réir eisceachtaí a d'fhéadfadh an dlí a fhorordú. Mar sin tá ceart uathoibríoch de ghnáth chun achomharc a dhéanamh ag an gCúirt Uachtarach i gcoinne cinnti ag an Cúirt Achomhairc. Rinne reachtanna líon teoranta eisceachtaí don cheart achomhairc seo áit a n-éilítear teastas ón mBreitheamh trialach ag dearbhú go mbaineann pointe dlí ata tábhachtach don phobal leis an achomharc. Forálann Airteagal 34.4 go soiléir nach féidir aon dlí a achtú ar an taobh amuigh de dhlínse achomhairc chásanna na Cúirteanna Uachtaraí lena mbaineann ceisteanna i dtaobh bail a bheith nó gan a bheith ar aon dlí, ag féachaint d'fhorálacha an Bhunreachta. Is féidir achomhairc a éiríonn as trialacha coiriúla a rinneadh san Ard-Chúirt (agus sa Chúirt Chuarda) a thógáil chuig an gCúirt Achomhairc. Tá an Chúirt sin comhdhéanta de triúr Bhreitheamh. Níl aon ceart achomhairc ginearálta chuig an Chúirt Uachtarach ón Cúirt Achomhairc. Ach de réir reachta tá ceart teoranta achomhairc áit a ndearbhaítear go mbaineann pointe dlí lena mbaineann tábhacht eisceachtúil ó thaobh an phobail de le cinneadh ag an gCúirt Achomhairc agus go bhfuil mian ann ar mhaithe le leas an phobail go dtógfaí achomharc chun na Cúirte Uachtaraí. Bundlínse Tá bundlínse teoranta ag an gCúirt Uachtarach freisin faoi Airteagal 26 agus 12.3.1 den Bhunreacht Forálann Airteagal 26 do Bhillí den sórt atá forordaithe san Airteagal sin a chur faoi bhráid na hArd-Chúirte ag Uachtarán na hÉireann tar éis di comhairle a ghlacadh leis an gComhairle Stáit, le féachaint an bhfuil an Bille sin nó aon fhoráil(fhorálacha) áirithe de in aghaidh an Bhunreachta. Forálann Airteagal 12.3.1 den Bhunreacht go bhféadann an Chúirt Uachtarach, agus í comhdhéanta de chúigear breithiúna ar a laghad, socrú an bhfuil Uachtarán na hÉireann ar mhíthreoir bhuan. Dlínse bhunreachtúil Faoi Airteagal 34.4.5 den Bhunreacht feidhmíonn an Chúirt Uachtarach mar chúirt bhunreachtúil toisc gurb í an réiteoir deireanach maidir le Bunreacht na hÉireann a léirmhíniú. Ról é seo a mbaineann tábhacht faoi leith leis in Éirinn, toisc go dtugann an Bunreacht cead soiléir do na cúirteanna, aon dlí, bíodh gur ritheadh é sular achtaíodh an Bunreacht nó ina dhiaidh, a athbhreithniú le socrú an réitíonn sé leis an mBunreacht. Cé nach mór cásanna den sórt sin a thógáil chuig an Ard-Chúirt ar an gcéad ásc, is féidir gach cinneadh den sórt sin a achomharc ag an gCúirt Achomhairc agus ag an gCúirt Uachtarach. D'fhéadfadh fo-reachtaíocht agus cinntí riaracháin bheith faoi réir scrúdaithe bunreachtúil den sórt sin freisin. Cinntí a fhógairt Uaireanta, tugann an Chúirt Uachtarach a cinneadh díreach tar éis di éisteacht le hachomharc i mbreithiúnas ex tempore. Ach níos minicí coimeádann an Chúirt a breithiúnas agus déanann sí é a sheachadadh níos déanaí. Cúirt choláisteach, a mbíonn roinnt Breithiúna inti i gcónaí, atá sa Chúirt Uachtarach. Mar sin cinneadh an tromlaigh atá i gcinneadh na Cúirte Uachtaraí. Féadann gach Breitheamh i gcás breithiúnas faoi leith a sheachadadh bíodh go n-aontaíonn nó go n-easaontaíonn sé/sí. Tagann eisceacht don chleachtas sin chun cinn i gcás nuair a gcuireann an tUachtarán Bille faoi bhráid na Cúirte Uachtaraí faoi Airteagal 26 den Bhunreacht. I gcásanna den sórt sin forálann an Bhunreacht nach mór cibé Breitheamh a threoraíonn an Chúirt dó/di fógra a dhéanamh ar an gcinneadh agus nach ndéanfar aon tuairim eile ar an gceist sin a fhógairt nó nach nochtfar aon tuairim eile den sórt sin. An Ceartas a Riaradh go Poiblí Forálann an Bunreacht nach mór ceartas a riaradh go poiblí, i ngach cúirt in Éirinn, lena n-áirítear an Chúirt Uachtarach, ach amháin i gcásanna sonracha agus teoranta mar a d'fhéadfadh an dlí a fhorordú. Mar sin bíonn suíonna na Cúirte Uachtaraí oscailte don phobal i bhformhór na gcásanna, áiríonn eisceachtaí na cásanna úd a bhaineann le dlí teaghlaigh agus le cionta gnéasacha áirithe.