European e-Justice Portal - Taking evidence

NB! Council Regulation (EC) No 1206/2001 has been replaced by Regulation (EU) 2020/1783 of the European Parliament and of the Council as of 1 July 2022.

Notifications made under the new Regulation can be found here!

Article 2 – Requested courts

Court competent for the taking of evidence according to this regulation:

District Court

1st Floor,

Aras Ui Dhalaigh, Four Courts,

Dublin 7

Tel.: (353-01) 888 6152

Fax: (353-01) 878 3218

e-mail: MaryO'Mara@courts.ie

Contact Person: Ms Mary O'Mara

Territorial Jurisdiction: National

(Counties Dublin, Louth, Meath, Westmeath, Offaly, Wicklow, Wexford, Longford, Laois, Kildare, Carlow, Kilkenny, Cork, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Kerry, Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan).

Article 3 – Central body

Central body supplying information to the courts, seeking solutions to any difficulties which may arise.

Courts Service

1st Floor,

Aras Ui Dhalaigh, Four Courts,

Dublin 7

Tel.: (353-01) 888 6152

Fax: (353-01) 878 3218

e-mail: MaryO'Mara@courts.ie

Territorial Jurisdiction: National.

Article 5 – Languages accepted for completion of the forms

Forms will be accepted in English only.

Article 6 – Means accepted for transmission of requests and other communications

Requests may be sent by post, fax or email.

Article 17 – Central body or competent authority(ies) responsible for decisions on requests for direct taking of evidence

(1) The Circuit Court shall be competent to take evidence pursuant to a request to which Article 1.1(a) of the Council Regulation applies.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the power conferred on the Circuit Court by paragraph (1) shall be exercised by the county registrar for the county or county borough in which the witness from whom evidence is to be taken resides, or carries on any profession, trade, business or other occupation.

(3) Where a request relates to more than one witness and paragraph (2) would operate to require the taking of evidence from the witnesses concerned by county registrars for different counties or county boroughs, the power conferred on the Circuit Court by paragraph (1) shall, in relation to the taking of evidence from each of those witnesses, be exercised by such county registrar as may be designated by the Chief Executive of the Courts Service or by such member of staff of the Courts Service as he or she may authorise in that behalf.

(4) The Courts Service is designated as the central body in the State for the purposes of Articles 4 and 19 of the Council Regulation.

Contact details can be found below:

Circuit & District Court Operations Directorate

Courts Service,

4th Floor Phoenix House,

15 - 24 Phoenix St. North,

Smithfield,Dublin 7

Tel: +353 1 888 6066/6070

Fax: (353-01) 888 60 63

Email: CCDirectorate@courts.ie

Article 21 – Agreements or arrangements to which Member States are parties and which comply with the conditions in Article 21(2)

None

Last update: 12/12/2023

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