Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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187. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the Judicial Council, with which persons could lodge complaints against members of the Judiciary, as set out in legislation passed in July 2019, has been set up; if not, when it will be set up; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35549/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Judicial Council was established on 17 December 2019 in accordance with the terms of the Judicial Council Act 2019. Orders bringing various sections of the Act into operation were made by my predecessor last year. The Council is independent in the performance of its functions and I do not have a role in its operation or that of its committees. Under the Act, the Chief Justice is the Chair of the Council.

The Act provides for the establishment of a number of committees including a Judicial Conduct Committee to promote and maintain high standards of conduct among judges. All committees have been established.

The Judicial Conduct Committee was formally established with effect from 30 June 2020 and is required under section 43 of the Judicial Council Act 2019, to submit to the Judicial Council Board draft guidelines concerning judicial conduct and ethics, within 12 months of its establishment.

The outer limit for submission of the guidelines is set in legislation however this does not preclude the earlier development of guidelines.

Once the guidelines have been adopted by the Judicial Council, I will make Orders bringing into operation those provisions of the Act which have not yet been commenced.

Further details on the Judicial Council, its committees and their work is available at www.judicialcouncil.ie.