Court in operation by next autumn

Justice Minister Alan Shatter has said the new Court of Appeal, approved by voters in the referendum, would be up and running next autumn and cost up to €3m annually.

Welcoming the approval by voters who backed the new court by a majority of two to one in last week’s vote, Mr Shatter said it was a landmark decision.

Just over 65% of voters voted in favour of establishing the new court, the first structural change to Irish courts since 1937. Mr Shatter said the court would be up and running by the autumn of next year but that an establishment bill would need to be enacted to bring the court into effect.