Bar of Ireland defends position on lay majority on judicial appointments commission

Paul McGarry SC, chair of the Council of The Bar of Ireland, has robustly defended his opposition to the proposed lay majority on the new judicial appointments commission.

In a piece for The Irish Times today, Mr McGarry says lay members on the commission will “contribute to the promotion of diversity”, but there is “no rationale” for a lay majority and chair.

His piece comes a week after Ken Murphy, director general of the Law Society, wrote in The Irish Times about the Law Society of Ireland’s new-found support for a lay majority and chair.

Mr Murphy wrote: “A majority of lay members will ensure there is a much greater measure of diverse public interest represented in the judicial selection process.”

But Mr McGarry was scathing in his piece today, claiming that “some politicians have been quick to take a populist stance” on the issue.

He wrote: “One is reminded of the New Yorker cartoon where a passenger on an aircraft is standing with a hand raised addressing the rest of the passengers saying: ‘Those smug pilots have lost touch with regular passengers like us. Who thinks I should fly the plane?’”