A 17-year-old boy has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a woman who was walking home from work in Dublin's north inner city two years ago.
The sentence will be reviewed in 13 years.
Urantsetseg Tserendorj, 49, was stabbed in the neck on a walkway between George's Dock and Custom House Quay in the IFSC, Dublin, on 20 January 2021, after the boy, who was aged 14 at the time, attempted to rob her.
She died in hospital nine days later.
A previous sentence hearing had been delayed after the judge appealed to the Oireachtas to correct what he said was a "yawning gap" in the legislation covering children convicted of serious crimes.
This morning, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said that he is encouraged by recent statements made by the Minister for Justice publicly.
He said: "I have come to the view that I can derive some encouragement from ministerial and department statements since the last sentencing hearing in this unfortunate case. It has to be emphasised, the limit of my function is to raise issues where they touch on the business of this court."
Mr Justice Hunt said that the precise details of the reform are a matter for the Oireachtas and added: "It is proper to have respect for these pronouncements as having substance; there will be a fully considered sentence structure for unfortunate cases such as this."
When the Children Act was drawn up, Mr Justice Hunt said it is possible that very young people committing serious offences was not considered.
He added: "Just because they are a small number, they are important and significant and there needs to be a proper way in which the interests of the offender and society ... can be synthesised at all stages of the process."
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The boy will be able to apply for parole after 12 years and Mr Justice Hunt said the review system does not preclude him from applying for parole. He added that this potential overlap is something the Oireachtas should consider when legislating for juveniles sentenced for serious crimes.
Mr Justice Hunt also ordered a series of probation reports leading to the final report on 11 January 2034.
He said that one of the "terrible realities" of the case is that the defendant will still only be 28 years old when his review comes up and he will potentially be released.
"If he enjoys ordinary good fortune he will have many good years in front of him, even with all that behind him," the judge said.
The judge said the teenager had done well in detention and has excellent family support, which he hopes will continue.
Mr Justice Hunt sentenced the teenager to concurrent three and two-year sentences for five other offences committed on the same day he stabbed Ms Tserendorj and for the theft of a bicycle.
All sentences are backdated to when the 17-year-old first went into custody in January 2021.
