Retired judge in bid to return to practice asked for financial details

Barry White, 71, is challenging the Bar Council of Ireland, the Justice Minister and the State over rules preventing him from practising in a court equal to or lower than the one over which he presided.

Mr White has said his pension does not meet his nor his family’s needs, and he needs to return to practice out of “economic necessity”.

However, solicitor James McGuill for the Bar Council has asked him to provide information on his financial position in the five years up to his retirement as evidence for this claim.

He said Mr White had previously indicated he would make this information available, but the Bar Council had not received anything from him after sending a letter last month.

Mr McGuill requested a four-week adjournment, which was accepted by Mr Justice Max Barrett.

The case runs back to a decision by the chief justice in 1930, who said the readmission of judges to courts less or equal to that in which they were a judge would “shake the authority” of the courts.

Because of this, Mr White is only allowed to represent clients in the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal.

The Bar Council has also refused to re-appoint him to the panel for a criminal legal aid scheme on which Mr White’s practice relied before becoming a judge.