- I was a victim of crime
- Rights of victims of crime
- Right to access support
- Rights during the investigation
- Right to information
- Information about services
- Information about how to make a criminal complaint
- Right to information in a language you understand well
- Right to accessible information
- Right to information about the criminal justice system
- Information about your ability to give evidence or make submissions
- Right to receive information about the case
- Right to make a complaint about your rights
- Rights when making a complaint
- Right be interviewed by the police without delay
- Right to be interviewed as few times as possible
- Right to an interpreter or translator
- Right to have medical examinations only when strictly necessary
- Right to have your individual protection needs assessed
- Right to have your property returned without delay
- Right to be accompanied
- Right to report a crime that occurred in another EU country
- Right to information
- Rights after you make your complaint
- Right to acknowledgement of a complaint
- Right to receive a copy of your statement
- Right to be informed if the investigation is stopped
- Right to information if the case does not go to trial
- Right to request a summary of reasons not to prosecute
- Right to request a review of the decision not to prosecute
- Right to request a summary of the decision not to prosecute but to deal with accused in another way
- Right to be informed if the accused is not mentally fit to be tried
- Right to information about the trial
- How you can be protected
- Rights at the trial
- Right to interpretation
- Right to victim support at court
- Right to information in advance
- Right to participate
- Right to limit contact with the accused
- Rights when giving evidence at trial
- Possibility to answer questions through an intermediary
- Right not to be questioned directly by the accused
- Possibility to give evidence from behind a screen
- Right to free legal advice and aid
- Compensation
- Expenses
- Rights after the trial
- Rights at the sentencing stage
- Rights after the sentencing
- Counselling notes
- Criminal proceedings in Ireland
- What is a crime?
- Should I report the crime?
- Investigation of an offence
- Decision to prosecute
- Going to court
- Which court does the case go to?
- Initial Appearance
- Bail
- Arraignment (guilty or not guilty plea)
- Preliminary trial hearing
- The trial
- Who is who in court
- Can I use social media during a trial?
- Why does the accused not have to give evidence?
- Can i be protected in court?
- Tips for testifying in court
- Outcomes of a trial
- Sentencing stage
- Appeals
- After sentencing
- Restorative justice
- Who is who
Rights after the trial
If there has been a trial, you should receive the following information afterwards:
- Information about the verdict or outcome of a trial and any appeal judgments if there is an appeal.
- You should be told about the date and place of any appeal taken by the offender or the prosecution. The offender might appeal the verdict or appeal the sentence if they think it is too long or harsh. The prosecution might appeal the verdict or the sentence if they think it is too lenient (not long or harsh enough). An appeal means the case will be heard by another, higher court.
- If the offender’s trial was before a judge only and not a jury, you can request a summary of the reasons given by the judge. However, in more serious cases where a trial involves a jury, you will not be given reasons for the decision of the jury. You will only find out if it is a “guilty” or “not guilty” verdict, as juries cannot give reasons.
If the accused person was convicted of having committed the crime (a finding of guilt):
- You should be informed about the date of sentencing. A criminal sentence is the punishment that the judge decides the convicted person should receive for their crime. Sometimes the accused is sentenced on the day of the guilty verdict, but usually, the sentencing will happen at a later date.
- You should be informed about the sentence given and any orders made by the court when giving the sentence. For example, the judge might make a compensation order ordering the offender to compensate you. Or the judge might give conditions that the offender has to follow if their sentence is “suspended”. A suspended sentence means that they will be released after a period of time if they follow the conditions. For example, a sentence might be 18 months with the final 6 months suspended, which means they will be released after 12 months.
If the offender receives a prison sentence and is sent to prison, a special centre or a children’s detention school, you can register your interest in receiving information with the Irish Prison Service that you want information about the accused. Then you can get information on:
- their release date: the year and month in which they are expected to be released and whether there are any conditions for their release
- if they are being released early
- any temporary release they are given, and any conditions attached to such release which relates to you
- any transfer of the offender while in custody to or from a prison, designated centre, detention school, court, hospital or any other place
- any escape by the offender and any measures which are put in place for your protection as a result of such escape and
- the death of the offender while in custody or on temporary or conditional release
Right to information
If there has been a trial, you should receive the following information afterwards:
Information about the verdict or outcome of a trial and any appeal judgments if there is an appeal.
You should be told about the date and place of any appeal taken by the offender or the prosecution. Read more about appeals here.
If the offender’s trial was before a judge only and not a jury, you can request a summary of the reasons given by the judge. However, in more serious cases where a trial involves a jury, you will not be given reasons for the decision of the jury. You will only find out if it is a “guilty” or “not guilty” verdict, as juries cannot give reasons.
If the accused person was convicted of having committed the crime (a finding of guilt):
You should be informed about the date of sentencing. A criminal sentence is the punishment that the judge decides the convicted person should receive for their crime. Sometimes the accused is sentenced on the day of the guilty verdict, but usually, the sentencing will happen at a later date.
You should be informed about the sentence given and any orders made by the court when giving the sentence. Learn more about sentencing here.
The judge might make a compensation order ordering the offender to compensate you. Or the judge might give conditions that the offender has to follow if their sentence is suspended.
If the offender receives a prison sentence and is sent to prison, a special centre or a children’s detention school, you can register your interest in receiving information with the Irish Prison Service that you want information about the accused. Then you can get information on:
- Their release date: the year and month in which they are expected to be released and whether there are any conditions for their release
- If they are being released early
- Any temporary release they are given, and any conditions attached to such release which relates to you
- Any transfer of the offender while in custody to or from a prison, designated centre, detention school, court, hospital or any other place
- Any escape by the offender and any measures which are put in place for your protection as a result of such escape and
- The death of the offender while in custody or on temporary or conditional release.