Judges, lawyers, gardaí, prosecutors, child, family and victims agencies have all agreed new procedures to ensure children who come before the criminal courts for serious offences are dealt with within a year.
The protocol applies to child victims and defendants in cases of rape and murder.
It is being introduced because all sectors of the Criminal Justice System recognise the vulnerability of children and the damage delays can do to them.
The protocol sets out the procedures to be adopted in terms of the investigation of an alleged offence, the support to be given to the child involved, the submission of the relevant file to the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Crown Prosecution Service and the decision-making process within the office of the DPP.
It also sets out a proposed timeline of 52 weeks in total from the initial garda statement or interview to the final verdict and sentence.
The Courts Service says the new protocol is designed to minimise the stress and emotional impact of the system on children and seeks to improve cooperation between the various agencies.
President of the High Court Mr Justice David Barniville says it recognises the child should be the primary concern but will also involved additional work and pressures on everyone involved.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott, who has presided over many cases where children were either accused of or were victims of rape and murder, said children have been "enmeshed in a highly complex and for them bewildering, criminal justice process which took too long and is a significant source of stress for them and their families".
"The level of pain and trauma in these cases is profound," he said. "It is therefore essential that children are not left waiting for years to have their cases investigated, prosecuted and tried."
"It is not just that delay in the criminal justice process puts a child's life on hold. The looming trial may dominate a good part of their childhood or teenage years beyond the period of alleged abuse which itself may have lasted for a long period."
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan welcomed the initiative which he described as "ambitious" while the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said it "enables justice to be carried out swiftly that will help victims and their families to heal".
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