Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 June 2013
13. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times that the new judicial forum working group has met since March 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28289/13]
View answerAs the Chief Justice recently highlighted, the Government has facilitated a new arrangement in the form of a Working Group chaired by the Chief Justice and comprising the Presidents of the Courts and other representative judges. The Attorney General, who has traditionally acted as the formal link with the Judiciary, also attends the Group accompanied by the Secretary General to the Government. As I indicated in response to Parliamentary Question No. 673 of 11 June 2013, there have been two meetings of the Group to date and it is intended that the Group will meet on an ongoing basis.
The Deputy may also recall that the Programme for Government undertakes to “legislate to establish a Judicial Council, with lay representation, to provide an effective mechanism for dealing with complaints against judges ” and this commitment is being given expression in the form of the proposed Judicial Council Bill. As well as providing for the establishment of a Judicial Council and Board that will promote excellence and high standards of conduct by judges, the proposed Bill is aimed at providing a means of investigating allegations of judicial misconduct supported by the establishment of a Judicial Conduct Committee which will have lay representation. The Judicial Council will be a formal statutory body, it will be independent and, it is important to note, will be a distinct entity from that of the Association of Judges of Ireland which has a different remit.
In November 2011, the judiciary agreed to establish an Interim Judicial Council pending the publication and enactment of the proposed Judicial Council Bill. A sub-committee of the Board of the Interim Judicial Council was subsequently established to consider the General Scheme for a Judicial Council Bill and its observations have been duly considered in my Department taking account of intervening developments and of current Government policy. Work on the detailed drafting of the new Bill continues, therefore, in conjunction with the Offices of the Attorney General and of Parliamentary Counsel. Under the Government's Legislation Programme publication of the Bill is expected later this year.
