Pressure mounts on Supreme Court judge after #Golfgate scandal

Supreme Court judge Seamus Woulfe was one of over 80 people who attended the Oireachtas Golf Society event. Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

A Supreme Court judge who attended the golfing dinner in Galway faces a testing week after political pressure mounted on him over the weekend.

However, legal sources believe there appears to be little action that can be taken against him by any of the arms of the State, including the judiciary.

Mr Justice Seamus Woulfe was one of over 80 people who attended a dinner event organised by the Oireachtas Golf Society at a Clifden hotel last Wednesday night.

The judge, who only stepped down as Attorney General in June after three years as the Cabinet’s legal adviser, apologised “unreservedly” on Friday for attending the event.

Current regulations, based on primary legislation, state that a maximum of 50 people can attend an event indoors.

The judge was Attorney General when the legislation was introduced, back in April, and when related regulations were introduced.

The dinner was also held a day after Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the nation of new measures to combat the resurgence in the deadly virus, including a further reduction in the numbers able to attend an indoor event (with limited exceptions) from 50 down to six.

This measure, while a public health guideline, is not yet law, however.

On the current regulations, only organisers of an event breaching the 50-person limit are liable to criminal sanction; attendees are not breaking any law.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said Mr Justice Woulfe is "accountable" to the Chief Justice, Frank Clarke, amid unconfirmed reports that Mr Justice Clarke was going to meet the judge this week.

Some legal sources said the Chief Justice had “little scope to do anything”.

Power vested in the Oireachtas to remove a judge is only for “stated misbehaviour or incapacity”, which would not apply in this situation.