As the Deputy may be aware, both the Programme for Government and the Government's Housing for All Strategy commits to the establishment of a new division of the High Court dealing with planning and environmental issues. The Programme for Government specifies that the new law court will be managed by specialist judges and established on the same basis as the existing commercial court model.
Officials in my Department have been working with the Courts Service and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in advancing the commitment and have put in place a Steering / Implementation group to progress this matter. The resourcing of the new Court, along with its scope, how it will operate, and the steps involved in its establishment, are being examined by the group. Bilateral discussions are also ongoing between officials in my Department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
In parallel, the Judicial Planning Working Group (JPWG), established by my Department in April 2021, is due to report in the coming months. The JPWG was set up in line with commitments in the Programme for Government and Justice Action Plan 2021 to "Establish a working group to consider the number of and type of judges required to ensure the efficient administration of justice over the next five years". Its recommendations will help inform any future judicial resourcing needs, including for the proposed new Planning and Environmental Law Court.
I expect that the proposed approach to the establishment of the new Court will be announced before the end of 2022, with implementation progressing in 2023.
