14 June 2021
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) will tell the Oireachtas Justice Committee that the proposed Judicial Appointments Bill does not go far enough in ensuring transparency in the judicial appointments process.
ICCL’s Executive Director Liam Herrick, who will address the Committee tomorrow, will say:
“A deficit of formality and transparency in the system of judicial appointment has badly affected public confidence in the judiciary. In that light, although this Bill is welcome, some of its provisions fall short of international best practice, particularly in the area of transparency.
ICCL suggests reducing the number of candidates which will be recommended to government, requiring that those recommendations are ranked, and imposing a duty on government to give reasons where it deviates from what is recommended to it.”
ICCL will advise the Committee that three of the members of the Judicial Council – excluding the Chief Justice – should be elected by their peers, and we question why there is to be a separate system for recommending more senior members of the Judiciary. We also recommend that all appointments should take into account the fundamental importance of ensuring diversity and appropriate representation in the judiciary.
ENDS/
ICCL will address the Oireachtas Justice Committee at 15:30 on 15 June.
Find ICCL’s Opening Statement here: https://www.iccl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ICCL-Opening-statement-on-the-Judicial-Appointments-Commission-Bill.pdf
Find our full submission here: https://www.iccl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ICCL-submission-on-Judicial-Appointments-Bill.pdf
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) is Ireland’s oldest independent human rights campaigning organisation. We monitor, educate and campaign to secure human rights for everyone in Ireland.
For comment: Liam Herrick
For media queries: sinead.nolan@iccl.ie