All rise... Judge Judy tours Dublin’s Four Courts

Straight-talking Judge Judy Sheindlin paid a flying visit to the Four Courts yesterday.

The American TV personality caused a buzz of excitement in the normally formal surroundings of the Four Courts as she was given a whistle stop tour of the country’s main seat of civil justice which houses the High and Circuit Civil courts.

The retired judge, who has become a star with her no-nonsense style of dispensing justice on daytime TV, was shown around the building and paid a courtesy call to Mr Justice Peter Charleton of the High Court.

She caused a flurry of excitement in the Four Courts round hall when she stood for photographs with students of King’s Inns waiting to sit their practical exams, before doing a lightning tour of the building.

The tough-talking TV personality said she and her entourage saw the Four Courts and had to see how the court system here works.

She joked she was in the building to “to make a little trouble” and said she imagined the method of dispensing justice and hearing cases here was lengthy and involved more time.

The judge became a TV personality when she retired from the bench in 1996 and began her daytime TV series, Judge Judy.

Running for 17 years and recently commissioned for four more seasons, the series attracts over 9m viewers in the US alone. It is licensed in over 120 global markets.

The television show features Judge Judy dealing with civil cases in a set mocked up to look like a real courtroom.

It deals with small claims disputes up to $5,000 (€3,800), and prior to proceedings the participants sign contracts agreeing to abide by her judgment.

She has already said Irish courts should adopt a similar approach to the American judiciary and allow the installation of cameras in Irish courtrooms, to protect the system from “bad lawyers and judges”.