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Appointment and Tenure of Judges of the Supreme Court Eligibility criteria for appointment to the Supreme Court Under section 5 of the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act 1961, as amended, the following persons are qualified for appointment to the Supreme Court: Appointment Procedure Under the applicable constitutional provisions it is the function of the Government to decide who should be appointed to the Supreme Court. The Government advises the President of Ireland of its nomination of a candidate for appointment and the President formally makes the appointment. A person who is not already a judge, and who wishes to be considered for appointment to the Supreme Court, may apply to the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board (JAAB) requesting that he or she be recommended as suitable for such appointment. The JAAB is an independent Board chaired by the Chief Justice. The four Presidents of each level of jurisdiction (District, Circuit and High and Court of Appeal) are also members of the Board. While a majority of the members are judges, there are two representatives from the legal profession and three are non-lawyers. The role of the Board is purely advisory. The JAAB considers all the applications before it in relation to that appointment and draws up a list of persons whom it considers suitably qualified for appointment. This list is forwarded to the Government. Generally speaking, the Government is confined to appointing persons (other than judges) who have been approved by the Board. The role of the Board is purely advisory. The JAAB considers all the applications before it in relation to that appointment and draws up a list of persons whom it considers suitably qualified for appointment. This list is forwarded to the Government. Generally speaking, the Government is confined to appointing persons (other than judges) who have been approved by the Board. The Oireachtas has reserved a power to the Government to appoint a person who has not applied to, and has not been considered by, the JAAB. If it does so it must publish in Iris Oifigiúil (the Official Gazette) a notice stating that it has made such an appointment outside the JAAB procedure. Security of Tenure According to Article 35.2 of the Constitution "All judges shall be independent in the exercise of their judicial functions and subject only to this Constitution and the law." Every person appointed a judge must take the oath set out in Article 34.6.1 of the Constitution as follows: Under Article 35.4.1 of the Constitution no judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court may be removed from office except for stated misbehaviour or incapacity, and then only upon resolutions passed by Dáil Éireann and by Seanad Éireann calling for his removal. Article 35.5.1 holds that "The remuneration of judges shall not be reduced during their continuance in office save in accordance with this section." Tenure Under the Courts and Court Officers Act 1995 the retirement age of ordinary judges of the Supreme Court was reduced from 72 years to 70 years. Judges appointed prior to the coming into operation of that Act may continue in office until aged 72. The Courts (No. 2) Act 1997 limited the term of office of a person appointed to the post of Chief Justice after the coming into operation of the Act to a period of seven years, which may be shorter where a Chief Justice's term terminates earlier by virtue of his having reached the statutory retirement age. A former Chief Justice may continue as a member of the Court until he or she reaches the statutory retirement age.
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Ceapachán agus Tionacht na mBreithiúna Critéar incháilitheachta um cheapadh chun na Cúirte Uachtaraí Faoi alt 5 d'Acht na gCúirteanna (Forálacha Forlíontacha) 1961, mar atá arna leasú, tá na daoine seo a leanas incháilithe le ceapadh chun na hArd-Chúirte: Nós Imeachta Ceapacháin Faoi na forálacha bunreachtúla bainteacha is é cúram an Rialtais cinneadh cé ar cheart a cheapadh chun na Cúirte Uachtaraí. Tugann an Rialtas comhairle d'Uachtarán na hÉireann agus iarrthóir á ainmniú aige agus déanann an tUachtarán an ceapachán go foirmiúil. Féadann duine nach breitheamh é/í cheana, agus ar mian leis/léi go ndéanfaí é/í a mheas le haghaidh ceapacháin chun na Cúirte Uachtaraí, cur isteach ar an mBord Comhairleach um Cheapacháin Bhreithiúna (BCCB) ag iarraidh go molfaí é/í mar iarrthóir oirúnach don cheapachán sin. Bord neamhspleách a bhfuil an Príomh-Bhreitheamh ina chathaoirleach air atá sa BCCB. Tá na ceathrar Uachtaráin ag gach leibhéal dlínse (An Chúirt Dúiche, an Chúirt Chuarda, an Ard-Chúirt agus An Chúirt Achomhairc) ina mbaill den Bhord freisin. Cé gur breithimh iad formhór na mball, tá beirt ionadaithe ón ngairm dlí agus tríur nach dlíodóirí iad. Ról comhairleach amháin atá ag an mBord. Déanann an BCCB gach iarratas os a chomhair a mheas maidir leis an gceapachán sin agus ceapann sé liosta daoine a mheasann sé a bheith cáilithe go hóiriúnach don cheapachán sin. Cuirtear an liosta seo ar aghaidh chuig an Rialtas. Go ginearálta, is iad na daoine (seachas breithiúna) a d'fhaomh an Bord amháin a fhéadann an Rialtas a cheapadh. D'fhorchoiméad an tOireachtas an chumhacht don Rialtas duine nár chuir isteach ar an BCCB agus nach ndearna sé a mheas a cheapadh. Má dhéanann sé amhlaidh ní mór dó fógra a fhoilsiú san Iris Oifigiúil ag sonrú go ndearna sé an ceapachán sin taobh amuigh den nós imeachta BCCB. Daingne Tionachta De réir Airteagal 35.2 den Bhunreacht "Beidh gach breitheamh saor neamhspleách maidir lena fheidhmeanna breithimh a oibriú, gan de smacht air ach an Bunreacht seo agus an dlí." Ní mór do gach duine a cheaptar ina bhreitheamh an mionna seo atá leagtha amach in Airteagal 34.6.1 den Bhunreacht mar seo a leanas a ghlacadh. Faoi Airteagal 35.4.1 den Bhunreacht níl cead breitheamh Cúirte Uachtaraí nó Ard-Chúirte a chur as oifig ach amháin de bharr mí-iompair nó míthreorach a luafar, agus an uair sin féin ní mór go rithfeadh Dáil Éireann agus Seanad Éireann rúin á éileamh é/í a chur as oifig. Sonraíonn Airteagal 35.5.1 "Ní cead laghdú a dhéanamh ar luach saothair breithiúna an fad is a bheidh siad in oifig ach amháin de réir an ailt seo." Tionacht Faoi Acht na gCúirteanna agus na Oifigeach Cúirte 1995 laghdaíodh aois scoir ghnáthbhreithimh na Cúirte Uachtaraí ó 72 bliain go 70 bliain. Féadann breithiúna a ceapadh sula ndeachaigh an tAcht sin i bhfeidhm fanacht san oifig go mbaineann siad 72 bliain amach. Forálann Acht na gCúirteanna (Uimh. 2) 1997 teorainn le téarma oifige duine a cheaptar ina Phríomh-Bhreitheamh tar éis don Acht dul i bhfeidhm go seacht mbliana, a d'fhéadfadh bheith níos giorra áit a gcríochnaíonn téarma Príomh-Bhreithimh níos luaithe toisc go mbaineann sé an aois scoir reachtúil amach. Féadann Iar-Phríomh-Bhreitheamh leanúint ar aghaidh ina b(h)all den Chúirt go mbaineann sé/sí an aois scoir reachtúil amach.