Open Consultation: Judicial Planning Working Group

The Programme for Government and Justice Action Plan 2021 commit to “Establish a working group to consider the number of and type of judges required to ensure the efficient administration of justice over the next five years”.

A Judicial Planning Working Group led by an independent Chair, Ms. Brigid McManus, former Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills, has been convened and comprising representatives from the Departments of Justice; the Taoiseach; Public Expenditure and Reform, Office of the Attorney General, and the Courts Service.

The Working Group is now issuing on open call to interested parties for submissions in relation to the following themes:

• the number and type of judges required in Ireland in the next five years, and longer term to ensure the efficient administration of justice
• the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, demographic changes, and implications of Brexit in regard to court caseloads and the subsequent resource requirements
• the development of judicial skills
• the extent to which efficiencies in case management and working practices, as well as enhanced digital technology, could help in meeting additional service demands, improving services, and access to justice

These submissions will be considered by the Group in compiling their report and making recommendations to the Minister for Justice.

Submissions should be made electronically by email to judicialplanning@justice.ie

It is requested that all submissions are returned no later than close of business on Friday 12 November 2021.

Please note, if you are or were involved in a court proceeding, it is important that you do not provide any information on what occurred at any court proceeding. This particularly relates to family cases in court as these usually occur in private (‘in-camera’) and those involved are not allowed to talk about them to anyone not involved in them.

The remit of the working group does not extend to matters relating to individual judges and as such no reference should be made to particular members of the judiciary within the submissions.

Submissions may be published in the future and will fall under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 upon conclusion of the Working Group’s considerations and publication of the report made to the Minister.