Stalking law drives surge in civil restraining orders across Irish courts

Courts Service annual report shows 1,839 civil restraining orders issued in the first full year of new stalking legislation, alongside rising drugs and sexual offence cases.

Stalking law drives surge in civil restraining orders across Irish courts

The District Court issued 1,839 civil restraining orders during the first full year of Ireland's new anti-stalking legislation, placing heavy demands on an already stretched judicial system, according to the Courts Service annual report for 2025.

Chief executive Angela Denning explained that although the statute is often tied to stalking and harassment, it also covers neighbour disputes, family conflicts outside domestic-violence law, and bullying. She called the field "new and complex," noting that lawyers, judges, and court staff all faced a learning curve. The flood of petitions put the District Courts under strain, leading to a late-year review of procedures aimed at easing the burden on everyone involved.

The findings, reported by The Law Society of Ireland Gazette, also show an 8% jump in minor drugs cases, with 30,018 new matters filed compared to 27,783 the year before.

Petitions for domestic-violence protection climbed by nearly 7,000 between 2019 and 2025, hitting 27,429 last year. Fresh sexual offence cases grew by 13.6% over the prior two years, reaching 3,648 in the District Court during 2025.

Serious criminal cases forwarded from the District Court to the Circuit Criminal Court rose 13% across two years, totalling 19,047 offences tied to 6,784 defendants. The Circuit Court handed down 16,068 sentences for serious crime, up from 14,858 in 2024.

At the Central Criminal Court, trials covered 1,149 offences and 509 guilty pleas were entered. It imposed 444 sentences for rape or attempted rape, with close to 60% carrying prison terms above ten years. Case resolution there has more than doubled over five years, helped by extra judges.

In total, 379,262 new criminal matters were lodged across all courts in 2025, down from 390,158 in 2024. Road-traffic violations kept falling for a seventh year, dropping 22% to 175,328. Public-order and assault matters reached 48,537, an 11% rise over two years, while larceny, fraud, and robbery cases stood at 38,219.

Civil filings have jumped 34% over five years, with 188,000 new cases in 2025. The High Court accounted for much of this, logging 21,740 new civil matters—a 36% increase across three years.

Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)