Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister of State and his officials on the passage of the Bill through the Seanad and I welcome the legislation. As others have said, it is long overdue for us to establish a judicial council for so many reasons. It is important and good that we are seeing this through. I am particularly pleased that we have seen within the Bill a framework for the structuring of discretion on sentencing and personal injury awards. We have had much debate on that matter. I am very grateful that the Minister of State accepted my point on Committee Stage and an amendment has been passed to ensure that guidance will be given to judges on the conduct of jury trials and criminal proceedings. I also welcome the passage of Senator Ruane's amendment providing for a review of mandatory minimum sentences. It is an important amendment that I hope is retained when the Bill goes through the Dáil.

Further amendment of the Bill may be required in the Dáil, particularly of section 79 and the provisions on the annual report of the judicial conduct committee, on which we have just voted. The text in section 79 may need to be streamlined. It may well be the case that the Bill will come before the Seanad again but I hope it will have a speedy passage. As Senator McDowell has said, we certainly have not delayed it in this House and we have been very anxious to see it go through. Any of us who have spoken on it in this House as it has gone through its Stages have expressed our strong support for it and our desire to see it passed without further delay.