Judicial misconduct and appointments
Deputy Catherine Murphy says misconduct must be dealt with in the right place and urges acceleration of the judicial conduct committee and appointments process, calling for an urgent debate. She says responsibility lies with the relevant institutions and the House.
The central point here relates to misconduct and where the responsibility should fall in dealing with it. The problem is that for so long we have lacked the ability, in the right locations, to deal with things. The judicial conduct committee is not yet in place, or it has not put a framework in place yet. That must be accelerated, as must the judicial appointments process. The issue of that process requires a debate here as a matter of urgency. It is a separate issue, but it is one that is part of our responsibility to hold the Government to account. I believe the responsibility lies with the Judiciary in respect of ethical matters, but it lacks a process to deal with it. That is why we have found ourselves in this situation. However, there must be an urgency about the delivery of those two things - the Bill and the process within the Judiciary.