Results 2,601-2,620 of 18,755 for speaker:Michael McDowell
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: It is a shocking piece of nonsense.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: What it is supposed to be, I do not know. Why it is there, I am not clear. The section I am dealing with now aims to prevent sitting members of the Judiciary from having to go through this process and says it does not apply to them. It is partly motivated by the fact that section 48 requires the Government, if it does not agree with the commission's viewpoint, to give a written...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: It is not a reasoned explanation. It is a self-evident piece of nonsense.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: It does not give a reasoned explanation, so why are we even being invited to consider legislation in this form? Why are we asking a member of the sitting High Court, the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court who is seeking an appointment or seeking to signal an appointment to any position in those courts to go through this meat grinder process, which requires, if they are appointed...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: It is an astonishing provision. If one thought that this is just a little aberration, then one must look at section 49. We will come to the latter in the fullness of time but it states, "Within 30 days after the end of each year, the Minister shall cause to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas a statement of appointments to judicial office made by the President during the previous year".
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: I have to deal with the Bill as it stands. If I look at the list of proposed amendments-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: -----the Minister has not brought any. Now he is stating that he intends to make some undefined amendments to this at some point because he agrees that these sections are unsatisfactory.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: In my name.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: I have to say-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: The Minister may not need the assistance of the Chair, because-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: ----- up to now I have regarded those amendments-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: ----- as mine.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: I am beginning to see that they are Government amendments, as denoted by the use of asterisks.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: I realise that I will be speaking for the Government when proposing those amendments.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: If the Minister succeeds in persuading Dáil Éireann to accept a deletion of those, that is one thing. However, if he does not-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: Hold on a second.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: No, it is amendment No. 85b.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: I am dealing with the Bill as sent forward to this House by Dáil Éireann. The Minister says that he proposes, by means of these asterisks, to accept my amendments when I move them. Presumably, it is quite likely that the House will accept the amendments I am proposing. If that is to be the case, we are still not sure that Dáil Éireann having in its wisdom - or in this...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: Regarding amendment No. 85b, a lengthy list of the appointments to the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court made by this Government was read into the record. Senator Norris is unaware that there is a second additional list of amendments.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Jan 2019)
Michael McDowell: Many promotional appointments to the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court give rise to a domino effect, whereby other vacancies arise. One of the curious things about this legislation is that if, for instance, the Government decides to appoint a judge of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court, a vacancy thereby will be created in the Court of Appeal. As the Bill stands, either...