Judicial Appointments

The Law Society of Ireland has expressed concern over the absence of practising solicitors and barristers on the new Judicial Appointments Commission. Justice minister Helen McEntee yesterday unveiled the membership of the Commission, which is to be established from 1 January 2025.

The long-awaited Judicial Appointments Commission is to be established from the beginning of 2025. In the biggest shake-up to the judicial appointments process in almost 30 years, only candidates recommended by the new Commission will be nominated by the government for appointment by the president.

Judge Suzanne Kingston and Judge Colm Mac Eochaidh have been formally reappointed to the General Court of the European Union for a further six-year term. The two Irish judges will serve an additional term from 1 September 2025 until 31 August 2031.

Ms Justice Caroline Costello has been formally appointed as president of the Court of Appeal. She was chosen by government ministers in July this year to succeed Mr Justice George Birmingham, who held the post since 2018.

Patricia MacBride has been appointed as a lay member of the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission (NIJAC). Ms MacBride, who was a lay magistrate from 2005 until 2008, has been appointed for a five-year term until 2 September 2029.

Ms Justice Niamh Hyland is to be appointed to the Court of Appeal in one of a series of judicial appointments approved by ministers yesterday. The High Court judge will fill the vacancy arising from the resignation of Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh in order to be appointed to the Europ

Ms Justice Caroline Costello has been picked by government ministers as the next president of the Court of Appeal. She will succeed Mr Justice George Birmingham, who has held the post since 2018 and is due to retire on Sunday 4 August 2024.

An English judge has been granted permission to bring a judicial review of a policy that does not allow applicants for jobs on the bench see any negative comments made about them in references. The ruling by appeal judges led by Master of the Rolls, Sir Geoffrey Vos, will allow district judge Kate T

Mr Justice Michael MacGrath has been nominated for appointment to the Court of Appeal and barristers Ronan Munro SC and Catherine White BL have been nominated for appointment to the Circuit Court. A High Court judge since 2018, and serving on the Special Criminal Courts since 2020, Mr Justice MacGra

Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne is to become the chairperson of the Courts Service board. The function of the Courts Service board is to consider and determine policy in relation to the Service, and oversee the implementation of that policy by its chief executive officer.

Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh has been elected to serve as the next Irish judge on the European Court of Human Rights. The Court of Appeal judge was the overwhelming choice of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), with only a handful of votes cast yesterday for r

Judge Fergal Gaynor, Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh and Professor Colm Ó Cinnéide have been named as the candidates to succeed Judge Síofra O'Leary on the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will next m

The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022 following an Article 26 reference. Delivering judgment for the Supreme Court, Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne confirmed that “there is nothing express or implicit in s. 51” requiring the gover

Landmark reforms to the judicial appointments process are compatible with the Constitution and can become law, the Supreme Court has ruled. The Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022 was referred to the court by President Michael D. Higgins under Article 26 of the Constitution — the first

Legal academics have expressed disappointment that Supreme Court hearings on the constitutionality of landmark judicial appointment reforms are not being live-streamed. The Supreme Court today began hearing arguments on the constitutionality of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022, which w