Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he expects that the long promised judicial conduct and ethics Bill will be published; if he has brought proposals to Government on the matter; if the heads of a Bill have been approved by Cabinet; the general approach he intends to adopt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4948/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I expect to be in a position shortly to bring the scheme of a judicial council Bill to Government for approval with a view to publishing the Bill itself in the first half of this year. The preparation of the scheme of the Bill is at an advanced stage. I am engaged in a number of necessary consultations on the draft scheme at present.

The Bill will establish a judicial council with responsibility for a number of matters. Among these will be the devising of a code of ethics and the management of a process, to be set out in the Bill, for the investigation of complaints about judicial misbehaviour. An important feature of this disciplinary process will be provisions requiring lay participation, that is to say people who are not judges or lawyers, in the process. Other matters to be included in the council's functions will be responsibility for judicial education and training and the exchange of information among judges on such matters as sentencing. In these regards, the Bill will build on the report of the committee on judicial conduct and ethics chaired by the former Chief Justice Ronan Keane.

It is my intention that when the scheme of the Bill has been approved by Government, I will make it available to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. Any views that may emerge from the joint committee can be taken into account during the drafting of the Bill, which will be proceeding at the same time.