Vol. 466 No. 6
118 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Justice if she will ensure that the Judiciary and the legal profession do not have the majority on the proposed authority to examine the courts system; if she will particularly ensure that this authority is comprised of people with experience in the day-to-day administration of the courts system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12160/96]
The Government decision of 21 May 1996 accepted in principle the recommendation of the report of the Working Group on a Courts Commission that there be established by statute an independent and permanent body to manage a unified courts system known as "the Courts Service".
The board of the new service, as proposed by the working group, would represent the interests of all those involved in or using the courts. It would be chaired by the Chief Justice or a Supreme Court judge nominated by him-her and consist not only of members of the Judiciary from each of the courts and nominees of the Law Society and the Bar Council, but also of a nominee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and of a body representative of business and management. There would also be a representative from my Department, from courts staff and from court users. The Government decided that the chief executive of the courts service would also be a member of the board.
