The Gazette 1996

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1996

GAZETTE

establish a working group to examine the whole issue of appointments to higher courts.

The Irish Times - 8 December 1995

"Bill Opens Way For Solicitors To Become Higher Court Judges " was the heading on a report which began "The Government has agreed that solicitors who have served four years as Circuit Court judges will in future be eligible to become judges of the High Court and Supreme Court". Reaction to this was reported as follows: "The rejection of the proposal to allow them to be appointed directly to the High and Supreme Courts was welcomed last night by the Bar Council's Vice-Chairman, Mr. Paul Gallagher, SC, as a recognition that solicitors' 'day-to-day practise is not an adequate preparation for the task of acting as a High Court or Supreme Court judge'." "The Director General of the Law Society, Mr. Ken Murphy, said the move was a small step in the right direction. 'With the opening up to the Circuit Court bench and this potential opening of the High Court and Supreme Court, it is clear

7 am going as far as I feel it is necessary to go'

Labour's Mr. Derek McDowell said the Minister had been 'rather more prudent and less progressive than she might have been'." "Ms. Owen said she would establish a working group to examine proposals to make further changes in the eligibility for judicial appointments. This would contain representatives from the Law Society, the Bar Council and other interests." "Mr. Murphy last night called on the Minister to make the majority of new Circuit Court appointments from the ranks of solicitors to help redress 'the historic imbalance'."

that the existing monopoly on appointments will not continue forever,' he said."

"The move was hailed as 'a historic breakthrough' by Fine Gael's Mr. Jim O'Keeffe and 'a revolutionary change' by Fine Gael's Mr. Alan Shatter. But Mr. Willie O'Dea of Fianna Fail said it was merely a 'tiny step' and

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"The Government missed an opportunity"

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