Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 27 Feb 1997

Vol. 475 No. 6

Written Answers. - Judicial Appointments.

Patrick J. Morley

Ceist:

18 Mr. Morley asked the Minister for Justice the current number of serving members of the Judiciary in the District, Circuit, High and Supreme Courts; and the number of vacancies which currently exist in each of these courts. [5459/97]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

The numbers of judges authorised at present by legislation in the various courts are as follows:

Supreme Court	8	(including Chief Justice)
High Court	20	(including the President of the High Court)
Circuit Court	28	(including the President of the Circuit Court)
District Court	51	(including the President of the District Court)

The numbers currently serving are as follows:

Supreme Court	8	(including Chief Justice)
High Court	20	(including the President of the High Court)
Circuit Court	26	(including the President of the Circuit Court)
District Court	47	(including the President of the District Court)

I am awaiting nomination from the judicial appointments advisory board to fill an existing vacancy in the District Court and I will be asking the board for nominations in respect of a second vacancy, which arose on 5 February 1997, very shortly.

I have no proposals at present to fill the remaining two authorised posts in the Circuit Court and in the District Court pending further review of the impact on the business of those courts of the substantial increase in judicial appointments made in the last year or so, and likely future demand on the courts, in connection for example with divorce.

Although there is no vacancy in the Supreme Court at present, the Government has nominated Mr. Justice Henry Barron of the High Court to fill a vacancy that will arise there on 14 March 1997. Arrangements will be made shortly for the filling of the resultant vacancy in the High Court. Also, the Courts Bill, 1997, which was published on 26 February 1997, provides for an increase of three in the maximum number of judges who may be appointed to the High Court. The Government has approved the filling of one of these positions following enactment of the legislation.