Taoiseach rows back on call for judicial appointments

There are no plans to appoint new judges until a new judicial appointments system has been introduced, despite remarks made by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dáil, The Irish Times reports.

Mr Kenny yesterday told TDs that there was an urgent need to make appointments due to the backlog of cases in the Court of Appeal.

An academic recently warned that the backlog could take up to a decade to be cleared at the current rate.

However, a spokesperson later confirmed that there were no plans to make further appointments - and refused to comment on Mr Kenny’s contribution in the Dáil.

Mr Kenny had said: “There are a relatively small number of appointments that need to be made now.

“Clearly we can’t have a situation where if this were to be delayed too long that obviously cases back up in every court.”

Independent TD and Transport Minister Shane Ross has said there will be no further judicial appointments under the existing system by condition of Fine Gael’s coalition with the Independent Alliance.

Mr Ross, who has long pushed for reform, said the Government had made commitments to replace the existing Judicial Appointments Advisory Board with a new judicial appointments commission.