Pace of judicial appointments 'slower than promised', says Chief Justice

The Chief Justice also said a 'really quite dramatic' conclusion of an OECD study was that Ireland needed between 60 and 108 additional judges over the next five years

The Chief Justice of Ireland, Mr Justice Donal O’Donnell, said Ireland has consistently had the lowest number of judges per capita of the 46 members of the Council of Europe. File photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Seven judicial appointments promised for last May have not yet been made, the Chief Justice said on Monday at the opening of the new legal year.

Five judges have yet to be appointed to the High Court bench and two to the Circuit Court by Government and the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Donal O’Donnell, said the pace of delivery is slower than initially promised. The appointments, he said, were expected last May.