All the country's judges have met for the first time as the new Judicial Council of Ireland.
The council was established in December and will deal with the training and conduct of judges, as well as sentencing and personal injuries guidelines.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan welcomed an "historic occasion that is over 20 years in the making".
He said: "I am confident the Council will play a crucial role in ensuring the high level of public confidence in our judiciary and will maintain the high standards of excellence for which our judiciary is renowned the world over.
"There is now an ambitious programme of work to be carried out by the Council, and its Committees ... I have every confidence this will be carried out diligently, and to the highest standards."
All 168 members of the judiciary, from the district court to the Supreme Court, are members of the council, which was formally established by legislation in December.
In a short public address to his colleagues, the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Frank Clarke noted that although there was significant respect for the rule of law in this country, it had come under threat in other jurisdictions.
He said this was the first time there had ever been a body made up of the entire judiciary of Ireland and it would be in a position to assert judicial independence and encourage public respect.
Mr Justice Clarke said that by providing mechanisms to enhance judicial education and training, to promote and enforce judicial ethics, to encourage measures designed to increase consistency and to provide support for judges, the council could play a vital role in promoting excellence.
The first task of the council was to establish a number of committees dealing with judicial training, conduct, sentencing guidelines and examining personal injury awards.
A spokesman said the process of appointing lay people as members of the sentencing and judicial conduct committees was underway.
The meeting was welcomed by the Alliance for Insurance Reform who urged the council and the personal injuries guidelines committee to move swiftly and "with the common good in mind" to have what they described as fair guidelines adopted.
The country's 168 judges met this morning for the first time as the new Judicial Council. More @rtenews pic.twitter.com/OM2XDUtrOQ
— Órla O'Donnell (@Orlaodo) February 7, 2020
