O'Donoghue: provisions strike the right balance

The Minister for Justice, John O'Donoghue, has defended the changes made to new legislation intended to cover judicial misconduct.

Minister O'Donoghue said the new proposals mean it would take the support of just 20 members of the Dail or Seanad to formally prefer a charge against a sitting judge.

He said that the measures strike the right balance, adding that it was important that the "thin red line between interfering with the judiciary and making the judiciary more accountable is not crossed".

The laws will require a constitutional referendum, to be held in June.