Courts and Court Officers Bill, 1995

Public bill · Government · Presented

The Courts and Court Officers Bill, 1995 would increase the number of judges in the Supreme, High, Circuit and District Courts to help reduce delays and deal with growing workloads. It would abolish the separate Court of Criminal Appeal and move its work to the Supreme Court, which could sit in several divisions, while creating an advisory board to recommend suitable candidates for judicial appointment. It would also give greater powers to court officers to manage cases and assess legal costs, allow earlier exchange of information in personal-injury cases, make criminal hearings more flexible, and allow solicitors with ten years’ experience to become Circuit Court judges. Other changes include funding for judicial training, ending the wearing of wigs in court, lowering the retirement age for future Supreme and High Court judges from 72 to 70, and improving oversight of legal fees.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to amend and extend the Courts of Justice Act, 1924, the Courts of Justice Act, 1936, the Court Officers Act, 1945, the Courts (Establishment and Constitution) Act, 1961, the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Acts, 1961 to 1991, the Courts Act, 1973, the Courts Act, 1981, the Courts-Martial Appeals Act, 1983, to establish a Judicial Appointments Advisory Board and to make provision in respect of that Board, to facilitate judicial training, to amend and extend the powers of the Master of the High Court, the Taxing Masters of the High Court and the County Registrars, to extend the powers of the Superior Courts Rules Committee and Circuit Court Rules Committee, to prohibit the wearing of wigs by barristers or solicitors in court, to amend and extend the Charities Acts 1961 and 1973, and to provide for related matters

Last updated 31 May 2021