Names of reprimanded judges to be withheld under bill
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Reprimanded judges will have their identity protected from the public under the proposed Judicial Council Bill, The Irish Times reports.
The bill provides for investigations into allegations of misconduct to be held in private, with a fine of up to €5,000 or a jail term of up to a year for anyone who leaks the facts of the investigation.
The judicial conduct committee proposed int he bill would issue an annual report on its investigations without naming the judges, unless they fail to co-operate with the committee or fail to complete a sanction.
However, Laura Cahillane, lecturer in law at the University of Limerick, has criticised the proposal, saying that reprimanded judges should be named in the interests of public accountability.
Dr Cahillane said: “There is an aura of respect, and that is of course a good thing, but at times we go a bit too far, and judges may think they are untouchable.”
She added: “It would be better from a public accountability and transparency point of view if names were published.”
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