Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Diarmuid Wilson on this issue. It does not make sense that a solicitor can be appointed directly to the High Court, as in the case of Mr. Justice Peart, but if the same solicitor had been appointed to the District Court one month previously, he or she could not have been appointed directly to the High Court. To the best of my knowledge, a solicitor must have ten years experience to be eligible for appointment to the Judiciary. I am not sure what the position is in the case of the Bar. This appears to be an oversight, unless it is the case that a shorter period of qualification is required before appointments can be made to the District Court. I am interested in hearing the response to Senator Diarmuid Wilson's query.