Judicial Conduct

Restrictions on the disclosure of evidence heard in-camera are creating an inadvertent barrier to complaints about the conduct of judges in family law cases, the Judicial Council has said.

The Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland has said she "provided advice and guidance" to a Tyrone judge after his comments while sentencing a man for sexual assault "caused legitimate concern". Judge Brian Sherrard KC, sitting in Dungannon Crown Court, had told the 36-year-old defendant he was "sti

A member of the Northern Ireland Assembly has submitted a formal complaint to the Lady Chief Justice in connection with remarks made by a judge during a sexual assault hearing. The complaint centres on comments made by Judge Brian Sherrard KC in Dungannon Crown Court as he was sentencing a man who a

The Judicial Council is, as of today, accepting complaints from members of the public about alleged judicial misconduct. Helen McEntee, the justice minister, has signed an order bringing into operation the remaining provisions of the Judicial Council Act 2019 concerning judicial conduct and ethics.

Judicial conduct and ethics guidelines adopted by the Judicial Council in February will come into force within weeks, according to reports. A spokesperson for justice minister Helen McEntee told The Irish Times that it is "envisaged" that an order bringing the relevant sections of the Judicial Act 2

Irish judges should be bound by a code of conduct even in their retirement to prevent a repeat of the controversy around the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) Courts, a retired senior counsel has said. Bill Shipsey SC, a former chair of Amnesty International Ireland, was among the first to c

Judges have approved judicial conduct and ethics guidelines to be enforced by the Judicial Council. Chief Justice Donal O'Donnell said the new guidelines, approved in a vote of 167 judges this morning, are "not a code".

Judicial conduct and ethics guidelines to be adopted shortly by the Judicial Council will close a "gap in judicial accountability and transparency", Chief Justice Frank Clarke has said. Writing in the foreword to its annual report for 2020, Mr Justice Clarke – who is due to retire in October &

A former Belgian judge was denied an effective remedy to challenge a judicial body's decision in breach of her rights, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled. The case concerned a former judge of the High Judicial Council (CSJ) who was suspended from her duties on the grounds that she

A district judge in Northern Ireland who openly questioned why buying sex is a criminal offence but selling sex is not will now receive "specific guidance" on the issue. The comments made by Judge Ted Magill during a criminal trial were "inappropriate", the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, agr

Andrew McKeown BL, law lecturer and practising barrister at The Bar of Ireland, considers the procedure for the removal of a judge under the Irish Constitution. As the controversy surrounding Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe continues, Seán Ó Fearghaíl TD, the Ceann Comhairle, ha

Embattled Supreme Court judge Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe has finally met with the Chief Justice following the Denham report into his controversial attendance at a golf dinner. Former chief justice Susan Denham found in her report that Mr Justice Woulfe had failed to consider “the advisabi

The Judicial Council has been asked to consider whether or not to publish the completed report by former Chief Justice Susan Denham on Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe's attendance at a controversial dinner which broke Covid-19 rules. The Supreme Court judge and former Attorney General apologised in

Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe has met former Chief Justice Susan Denham as part of her investigation into his attendance at a controversial dinner which broke COVID-19 rules. Mr Justice Woulfe was accompanied by Michael Collins SC at the meeting, which was also attended by Shane Murphy SC, accordi

Former Chief Justice Susan Denham will lead an "unprecedented" investigation into the conduct of Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe, the newly-appointed Supreme Court judge, amid calls for him to step down. Mr Justice Woulfe, the former Attorney General, apologised on Friday for being one of more than