Written answers
Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Department of Justice and Equality
Courts Service
Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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703. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of judges in each court in the years 2020 to date, in tabular form; the recommendations he has received with regard to increasing the size of the judiciary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54944/25]
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with Articles 13.9 and 35.1 of the Constitution, judicial appointments are made by the President, acting on the advice of the Government. The number of Judges assigned to each jurisdiction, as set out in legislation, is provided in the table below.
Year | Jurisdiction | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
2020 (170) | Supreme Court (10) | Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges | |
Court of Appeal (16) | President and 15 ordinary judges | ||
High Court (40) | President and 37 ordinary judges plus 2 additional judges | 1 judge appointed chair of GSOC & 1 judge appointed to the LRC giving rise to the 2 additional posts. | |
Circuit Court (40) | President and 37 Ordinary Judges plus 2 Specialist Judges | Part Six of the Personal Insolvency Act 2012 provided for the amendment of the Courts Acts to create a cadre of Specialist Judges of the Circuit Court. | |
District Court (64) | President plus 63 ordinary judges | ||
2021(176) | Supreme Court (10) | Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges | |
Court of Appeal (17) | President and 15 ordinary judges plus 1 additional judge | 1 judge appointed a Commissioner of the LRC giving rise to the additional post. | |
High Court (45) | President and 42 ordinary judges plus 2 additional judges | 1 judge appointed chair of GSOC & 1 judge appointed a Commissioner of the LRC giving rise to the 2 additional posts. | |
Circuit Court (40) | President and 37 Ordinary Judges plus 2 Specialist Judges | Part Six of the Personal Insolvency Act 2012 provided for the amendment of the Courts Acts to create a cadre of Specialist Judges of the Circuit Court. | |
District Court (64) | President plus 63 ordinary judges | ||
2022 (173) | Supreme Court (10) | Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges | |
Court of Appeal (16) | President and 15 ordinary judges | 1 judge was appointed a Commissioner of the LRC in October 2020 for a five year term giving rise to an additional post. However, on 29 November 2022, the judge was appointed to the Supreme Court and decided to continue with his membership of the LRC as a Supreme Court Judge. As a result, the additional post in the Court of Appeal was lost. | |
High Court (45) | President and 42 ordinary judges plus 2* additional judges | 1 judge was appointed chair of GSOC on 19 January 2022 giving rise to the additional post. * However, when that judge retired in June 2022 the additional post was lost. 1 judge appointed a Commissioner to the LRC giving rise to the additional post. | |
Circuit Court (38) | President and 37 ordinary judges | ||
District Court (64) | President plus 63 ordinary judges | ||
2023 (198) | Supreme Court (11) | Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges plus 1 additional judge | 1 judge was nominated to chair the Electoral Commission, thus creating an additional post. |
Court of Appeal (18) | President and 17 ordinary judges | ||
High Court (51) | President and 50 ordinary judges | ||
Circuit Court (46) | President and 45 ordinary judges | ||
District Court (72) | President plus 71 ordinary judges | ||
2024 (198) | Supreme Court (10) | Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges | |
Court of Appeal (19) | President and 18 ordinary judges | ||
High Court (51) | President and 50 ordinary judges | ||
Circuit Court (46) | President and 45 ordinary judges | ||
District Court (72) | President plus 71 ordinary judges | ||
2025 (198) | Supreme Court (10) | Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges | |
Court of Appeal (19) | President and 18 ordinary judges | ||
High Court (51) | President and 50 ordinary judges | ||
Circuit Court (46) | President and 45 ordinary judges | ||
District Court (72) | President plus 71 ordinary judges |
Special Criminal Courts
The original Special Criminal Court was established in 1972 under Section 38 (1) of the Offences Against the State Act 1939.
Article 38 3. (1) of the Constitution allows for the establishment of special courts in accordance with the law in cases where it is considered that the ordinary courts are inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice.
Section 38 of the Offences against the State Act 1939 provides for the establishment of Special Criminal Courts. Section 38 of the 1939 Act also provides that the Government may, whenever they consider it necessary or desirable to do so, establish additional Special Criminal Courts as they think fit.
A second Special Criminal Court was established by Government Order on 14 December 2004 and was brought into existence on 28 October 2015. The second Special Criminal Court has been operational since 25 April 2016.
The Government, at its meeting of 19 July 2016, agreed to make appointments to the panel of judges assigned to Special Criminal Court No.1 (SCC No.1) and to Special Criminal Court No.2 (SCC No.2) so that each panel consisted of the same judges. This change took effect from 30 July 2016 and essentially created one pool of judges available to serve in both Special Criminal Courts allowing for greater flexibility and efficiency in the allocation of judges to SCC No.1 and SCC No.2.
The Special Criminal Courts (No.1) and (No.2) currently consist of nineteen judges; eight from the High Court, four from the Circuit Court and seven from the District Court (the SCC has also consisted of 19 judges for the period in question 2020 – 2025).
In 2023, the Government approved and appointed an additional 24 judges as proposed by the Judicial Planning Working Group. Following an impact assessment of these appointments, Government approval was secured to increase judicial numbers by a further 20 judges in order to meet the growing demands on the justice system and to further reduce long waiting times across the courts. This second tranche of judicial appointments will involve two additional judges for the Court of Appeal and six each for the High, Circuit and District Courts.
A further Government Decision, taken in July 2025, provided for the establishment of the Commission of Investigation into the Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools, to be chaired by a current Court of Appeal judge. In order to prevent any diminution of operating strength, the Government Decision further provided for an increase of one additional ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal.
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