Twenty-four additional judges to be appointed this year
Muireann Duffy
Twenty-four additional judges are to be appointed this year to ease backlogs in the court system and support the Government's objectives of establishing dedicated Family Courts and a Planning and Environment Court.
Minister for Justice Simon Harris has confirmed the 24 judges will be appointed in 2023, "with a further 20 new judges following the implementation of reforms and efficiencies".
The announcement comes after the publication of the Judicial Planning Working Group, which noted a "significant number of additional judges will be needed over the next five years" to provide timely access to the judicial system, recommending the appointments be made on phased basis before the end of 2024.
"I am committed to improving access to justice for all of our citizens and I want to ensure that our Courts are properly resourced to deliver on Government priorities," Mr Harris said.
The 44 appointments envisaged by the end of 2024 will increase the total number of judges in the State from 173 to 217.
Figures provided by the Department of Justice showed of the 24 first-phase appointments, eight will be at the district and circuit levels respectively, while the High Court will get six new judges and the Court of Appeal will get two.
