A High Court judge since 2018, and serving on the Special Criminal Courts since 2020, Mr Justice MacGrath has been nominated to fill the vacancy arising from the retirement of Mr Justice Robert Haughton at the start of April.

Educated at University College Dublin and the King’s Inns, he called to the Bar in 1984 and to the Inner Bar in 2000.

The two vacancies in the Circuit Court arise from the retirement of Judge Rosemary Horgan in December and the resignation of Gerard O’Brien in January.

Mr Munro, also a graduate of UCD and the King’s Inns, called to the Bar in 1995 and to the Inner Bar in 2016. He practises mainly in administrative law and matters affecting personal liberty as well as wardship jurisdiction, assisted decision-making and personal injury.

He has served on the Bar Council since 2023 and has been a member of the Criminal State Bar Committee since 2023 and the Central Criminal Court Users’ Group since January.

Ms White, a graduate of University College Cork, called to the Bar in 1988 and practises primarily in family law as well as in constitutional, contract and probate law. She is also a CEDR-accredited mediator and has served on the Bar Council since 2022.

She worked as a lawyer for FLAC from 1986 to 2005 and the Women’s Refuge Centre Rathmines from 1988 to 1993, and also lectured in family and contract law at the Law Society from 1988 to 1998 and at the Portobello Institute from 1988 to 1995.

Ministers have “taken the necessary steps to formally advise President Higgins of the nomination in accordance with constitutional practice,” the government said.