The council was widely expected to approve the draft guidelines drawn up by its personal injuries guidelines committee, which have not been published but are said to include significant reductions.

More than 150 judges took part in the two-hour meeting on Friday, which adjourned for two weeks until Friday 20 February. The judges are still widely expected to approve the guidelines despite taking a longer time to consider them.

When approved, the new guidelines will effectively replace the Book of Quantum, which is currently drawn up by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB). This forms part of the government’s plan to bring down insurance costs in Ireland. However, lawyers have expressed scepticism that this will have the desired outcome.