Ex-Attorney General criticises Government’s attitude to the judiciary

A former Attorney General has claimed the Government’s attitude to the judiciary shares “common themes” with “populist attacks” on the US judiciary.

Paul Gallagher SC, who was Attorney General from 2007-11, made the comments in a recent address at Trinity College Dublin, which was not reported but has been picked up by The Irish Times today.

Mr Gallagher took aim in particular at the Government’s approach to the new judicial appointments bill, which he said had “ignored the legitimate concerns expressed by the judiciary”.

He added: “The issue has been unnecessarily politicised, which in and of itself is damaging to judicial independence.”

Mr Gallagher cited the 2011 referendum in which 79.7 per cent of voters backed removing the constitutional ban on judicial pay cuts as an example of “the abuse of the judiciary and their motives”.

He warned: “The proposed reform of the judicial appointments process risks a repeat of the damage caused by the constitutional amendment.”

The Judicial Appointments Bill will be published at the end of the month.

Last month, it was confirmed that the bill will provide for a lay majority and chairperson on the new judicial appointments commission.

That measure has divided the legal profession, with the Law Society of Ireland backing it and The Bar of Ireland opposing it.