British titles a thing of past in courts

FROM Tuesday, “M’Lud” will no longer be a proper way to address Irish courts.

Such sweeping change poses a challenge to barristers of a fawning nature, now being reduced to a simple, singular utterance - “Judge”.

Lots of dust have gathered on the law tomes since “My Lord” gained currency 850 years ago during the reign of Britain’s Henry II.

Chief Justice John Murray headed the committee that voted to abolish the use of British titles in Irish courtrooms.

Yesterday Justice Minister Michael McDowell swept aside the fusty honorifics, signing into operation new mode of address rules of the Superior Courts.

From next week judges of the High Court and Supreme Court will be addressed as “Judge”.

But the Chief Justice and the President of the High Court will be addressed by their titles.

“Your Lordship,” a frequently used address that conjures up an excess of grovelling, will make way for “The Court”. The same title will apply to panels of judges in higher courts.

Barristers, who return to wearing their wigs and gowns next week after the Easter recess, believe it will take time for many of them to adjust to the regimen.

The break with tradition - never easy where the law is concerned - was pioneered by the Superior Courts Rules Committee.

When the late Ms Mella Carroll became the first female High Court judge in the 1980s she cut through the confusion as to how she should be addressed. “Call me judge,” she insisted.

In 1924, the first chief justice, Hugh Kennedy, asked the Dáil to scrap judges’ titles - but his request was refused. When the Dáil finally established the courts system, in 1961, the law stated judges were to be addressed simply by their title and name.