The Gazette 1996

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GAZETTE
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1996
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'
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
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'."
"The Government missed an opportunity"
ENGLISH AGENTS:
Agency work undertaken for Irish
Solicitors in both litigation and
non-contentious matters -
including legal aid.
Fearon & Co., Solicitors,
Westminster House,
12 The Broadway, Woking,
Surrey GU21 5AU.
Fax:0044 -1483 - 725807
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