Chief Justice sets out concerns over lay majority on judicial appointments commission

The Chief Justice, Susan Denham, has written to Taoiseach Enda Kenny to set out concerns over the proposed lay majority for the new judicial appointments body, The Irish Times reports.

Ms Justice Denham met Mr Kenny and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald before Christmas to convey strong concerns over the proposals in the Government’s Judicial Appointments Commission Bill.

Earlier this month, she wrote to Mr Kenny to set them out again.

She suggested the proposed new regime would affect the independence of the Irish judiciary.

In the letter, Ms Justice Denham also criticised the proposal that the commission should have a lay chair.

She has suggested that the Chief Justice, as Ireland’s top lawyer and a member of the proposed commission, should chair it.

Ms Fitzgerald defended the proposed lay majority to members of the Dáil justice committee when the bill reached the pre-legislative scrutiny stage earlier this week.