The Government has nominated eight new judges, the first nominated for appointment to the judiciary following the introduction of a new process for choosing judges in January this year.
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan announced that the Government has nominated one new High Court judge as well as six nominations for the District Court and one nomination in principle to that court.
The 2023 Judicial Appointments Commission Act, which came into force in January, established a new and independent Judicial Appointments Commission to select and recommend people for judicial offices.
Only candidates recommended by the commission can be nominated by the Government for appointment by the President.
Well-known Senior Counsel Seán Gillane, who specialises in criminal law, has been nominated for appointment to the High Court, while solicitors, Valerie Corcoran, Liz Healy and Catherine Ryan as well as barristers Emile Daly, Karen Dowling and Áine Shannon have been nominated for appointment as district court judges.
Barrister Derek Cooney has also been nominated in principle to the District Court on the retirement of a judge later this month.
The minister said this was an important milestone for the justice system and democracy in the State.
He described the new system as a crucial mechanism to uphold the independence of the judiciary and to ensure a rigorous, transparent and merit-based application process for nomination as a judge.
