Impending Change To How Civil Litigation Is Conducted In Ireland

The General Scheme of a Civil Reform Bill 2025 was published by the Government on 6 January 2026, giving a general overview of the reforms it envisages.  It marks a major milestone toward the reform of civil litigation in Ireland.

The changes envisaged by the General Scheme of the Civil Reform Bill (the “General Scheme”) both deliver and expand on many of the recommendations in the Review of the Administration of Civil Justice Report (the “Kelly Report”), which was published over five years ago.  If implemented in its current form, it will have the potential to transform how litigation is conducted in Ireland, from how proceedings are commenced and managed, to the scope of judicial review and the discovery process.