Decision to allow former judge to return to work as barrister shakes profession

Members of the Law Library told The Irish Times that they felt the decision damaged the independence of the judiciary, and said they would feel uncomfortable practising alongside 71-year-old Barry White.

One barrister said: “It’s like the school principal is now sitting next to you in class.”

Another barrister suggested Ireland should have a judicial council responsible for training judges, dealing with complaints against them, and - critically - overseeing rules for judges who want to return to practise, calling it a “scandal” that this does not exist.

The full ramifications of Friday’s ruling are not immediately clear.

A spokesperson for the Bar Council of Ireland told Irish Legal News: “The Council of The Bar of Ireland notes the judgment delivered by the High Court and will examine it in further detail in the coming days.

“The Council of The Bar of Ireland welcomes the Court’s rejection of the case against us and welcomes the Court’s explicit finding that the Council did not err in law in any way.”