Damages On The Rise?

Justice Minister Alan Shatter recently implemented changes to the monetary jurisdiction of the Courts which were included in the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013. The new limits, which will apply in Circuit and District Court cases, apply to all proceedings issued after 3 February 2014. This is the first increase since 1991 and in respect of proceedings issued after this date, the monetary limit of the Circuit Court increases from €38,000 to €75,000 and of the District Court from €6,350 to €15,000. Notably, for personal injury actions only, the new monetary jurisdiction of the Circuit Court will be €60,000.

Presumably in anticipation of an increased case load in the District Court, there has been extensive revision and consolidation of the applicable procedural rules.