Barry MacCarthy

Justice minister Helen McEntee yesterday unveiled the membership of the Commission, which is to be established from 1 January 2025.

Law Society president Barry MacCarthy said: “The commencement of the Judicial Appointments Act with effect from January 2025 will bring about a really significant change in the way judges are selected for appointment.

“The Law Society welcomes minister McEntee’s leadership in driving forward these much-needed reforms, but we reiterate our call for practising legal professionals, including solicitors, to be represented on the Judicial Appointments Commission.”

He added: “We need only look to our nearest neighbours, where the UK Judicial Appointments Commission membership includes representatives of both branches of the legal profession.

“The Law Society remains concerned that representatives of the legal professions are excluded from the Commission.

“This effectively excludes the perspectives of thousands of solicitors who work in the courts every day and is an approach which is a significant change from the system that has been in place before now.”

However, he said the Law Society still “views these reforms as transformative for the justice system and all who use it”, welcoming in particular the emphasis on diversity and judicial training and skills.

“The Law Society looks forward to continuing to work alongside the Minister, the Judicial Appointments Commission, and other stakeholders to build a modern justice system that reflects the needs of Irish society today,” he said.

Mr McCarthy added: “According to an OECD report [from January 2023], the Irish justice system is currently experiencing a shortage of judges, has limited case management capacity, and court operations are not as efficient as they could be.

“We also call on the minister to now proceed with the appointment of more judges and court staff in line with the recommendations of the OECD and the report of the Judicial Planning Working Group.”