Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 192: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in relation to the proposed Judicial Council Bill to provide effective remedies for complaints regarding judicial misbehaviour, it is intended to include lay participation in the investigation of such complaints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21035/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The proposals for a Judicial Council, in the Judicial Council Bill at present being developed in my Department, are based on the recommendations contained in the Report of the Committee on Judicial Ethics, chaired by the then Chief Justice, the Honourable Mr Justice Ronan Keane. That Report included the following recommendation, at p. 54: "To ensure that the public would have confidence in any process established in relation to the inquiry into complaints of judicial conduct and to bring to the process the benefit of a lay person's perspective, we have concluded that there should be lay members participating in the process."

I concur in that recommendation, and can inform the Deputy that it is my intention that the Scheme of the Bill, when submitted to Government for approval to draft, will contain suitable provisions to give effect to that recommendation.