The appointments represent the second phase of the appointment of 44 additional judges as recommended by the Judicial Planning Working Group in February 2023.

The first phase of 24 additional judges was appointed throughout 2023 — in addition to other appointments that year — and the government says it has approved the second phase following an assessment of their impact.

Justice minister Helen McEntee said: “The appointment of additional judges is a key part of my plan to speed up our courts and deliver faster access to justice.

“An assessment has clearly shown the positive impact of the additional 30 judges appointed in the lifetime of this government across all court jurisdictions. They have resulted in a significant increase in the number of court sittings, and the amount of cases resolved, as well as improved waiting times.

“This decision will ensure that our courts are fully resourced to administer justice effectively and efficiently.

“The JPWG report highlighted that existing judicial numbers could not meet this objective, given our population growth, expanding and new areas of law and increasing case complexity.

“The appointment of extra judges will allow for trials to be scheduled more quickly.”

She added: “Other measures, such as the rollout of body-worn cameras and the introduction of facial recognition technology, will ensure digital evidence in criminal trials can be gathered much faster.

“It is expected that the rollout of body-worn cameras could lead to an increase in the number of early guilty pleas as criminals are confronted with video footage of incidents.”

Following yesterday’s decision, Mrs McEntee and the Attorney General will now work to introduce legislation to increase the number of judges.

Mrs McEntee said: “The need for additional judges is further highlighted by the progression of recent legislation requiring courts and judicial resourcing, such as the Family Courts Bill 2022, the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022 and the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act, 2024.

“Appointing 20 additional judges, in tandem with my Department’s continuing support of the Courts Service modernisation programme, will be prioritised to ensure our justice system can meet the needs of all those navigating their way through it.”

Major reforms to the judicial appointments process are scheduled to come into force from 1 January 2025.