UK Supreme Court Blog

EDITORS: Dan Tench, Emma Cross, Zainab Hodgson, Francesca Knight, James Warshaw and Natalie Haefner (CMS)
Hugh Tomlinson KC, Matthew Ryder KC, Dévante Gravesande-Smith and Rebecca Khan (Matrix)

We have had a number of posts about the selection process for the Supreme Court  (see, most recently, here).  Dr Eion O’Dell from Trinity College, Dublin, writes to inform us that a selection process for an appointment to the Irish Supreme Court is also taking place   The Judicial Appointments Advisory Board in the Republic has advertised for applicants for the position of Supreme Court judge following the retirement from the Court of Mr Justice Kearns, who has been appointed president of the High Court. 

The Irish Supreme Court consists of the President (“An Príomh-Bhreitheamh”) and not more than seven ordinary judges (“Breitheamh den Chúirt Uachtarach”).  Unusually for a Supreme Court it is a second instance rather than a third instance Court hearing direct appeals from first instance decisions.

As in the United Kingdom, there has been speculation in Ireland that there might be a direct appointment to the Court from the senior bar.