Judicial Appointments Advisory Board

Application for appointment to the
Office of Ordinary Judge of the Supreme Court
  • Please complete this form in type or write clearly in black ink
  • Please ensure that a current Tax Clearance Certificate, in accordance with the Standards in Public Office Act 2001(as amended), is included with your application. Applications cannot be considered without submission of this certificate.
  • Please ensure references are submitted by two nominated referees in a timely manner. The Board places considerable emphasis on the provision of references.

For Office Use / Date Received

CHECKLIST

Thirteen recent passport sized photographs signed by you on the reverse of each photograph
Tax Clearance Certificate in accordance with the Standards in Public Office Act, 2001 (as amended)
Statutory Declaration
Response on page 10 in typed format and attached
Declaration on page 12 signed and dated

SECTION 1: PERSONAL DETAILS

Surname
Forename
Date of Birth
DD/MM/YYYY
Contact Details
Work Phone
(including prefix) / Home Phone
(including prefix)
Mobile Phone
E-Mail Address
Personal Address
Name of Firm
(if applicable)
Professional Address
Please indicate which address is to be used for correspondence
Personal / Professional
Health
I confirm that there is no reason connected with my health that would prevent me from performing the functions connected with Judicial Office / Yes / No
You may be asked to provide a medical certificate or to attend a medical examination
with the State’s Chief Medical Officer prior to appointment
Please provide your Doctor’s name and address
Name
Address
Have you previously submitted an application form to the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board / Yes / No
Year of last application &
Jurisdiction(s)

SECTION 2: EDUCATIONAL DETAILS

Post-graduate education
(include date(s) obtained)
Third Level education
(include date(s) obtained)
Diploma(s)/Certificate(s)

SECTION 3: LEGAL TRAINING

Mark appropriate box
Solicitor / Barrister / Senior Counsel
Barrister
Month and year of call to the Bar
Silk taken, year
(if applicable)
Are you a member of the Law Library? / Yes / No
If no, have you submitted to the jurisdiction of the Bar Council in accordance with the Regulations of the Bar Council and the Rules of the Honourable Society of the Kings Inns? / Yes / No
Solicitor
Month and year of qualification
Are you currently on the roll of Solicitors?
(tick appropriate box) / Yes / No
Do you hold a Practising Certificate? / Yes / No
If no, why not?
All Practitioners
Details of Legal Publications written or edited
Please inform the Board in writing of any change in your employment status throughout the year

SECTION 4: PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Please provide details of your career to date, commencing with your most recent experience, indicating the main responsibilities and achievements of each role. If necessary, please use a separate continuation sheet.

Please also include other roles outside your normal work, for example active public service, board membership, voluntary work etc.

Name and Address of
Employer/
Voluntary Organisation/
Self Employment / Period of
Employment / Position and type of work
involved
From – To
(dd/mm/yy)
Please provide details of any quasi-judicial experience that you may have
What percentage of your
practice involves the following:
a)criminal law?
b)family law?
c)other (specify)
d)other (specify)
e)other (specify)
Gross personal income from practice (excluding VAT]
Below €50,000 / €50,000-€100,000 / Over €100,000
Last Accounting Year
Second Last Accounting Year
Third Last Accounting Year

SECTION 5: LANGUAGE SKILLS

Can you conduct a case in Irish? / Yes / No
Can you understand evidence given
in Irish? / Yes / No
Could you conduct a case in another foreign language? / Yes / No
Please specify the language(s)

SECTION 6: CHARACTER PROFILE

(Please answer all questions)

Have you ever been convicted of any criminal offence other than a minor road traffic offence or are any such proceedings pending?
If yes, please provide details in the space below including dates and
amount of any fine or other penalty imposed / No
Yes
Have you ever been adjudged bankrupt, made a composition with your creditors, or been sued to judgment for any debt, or are any such proceedings pending?
If yes, please provide details in the space below, including dates / No
Yes
Have you ever had proceedings brought against you, or paid a penalty, or made a composition in respect of failure to pay, or any other default relating to VAT or any other form of tax or are any such proceedings pending?
If yes, please provide details in the space below, including dates / No
Yes
Have you ever had an action brought against you (or in the case of a solicitor against your firm) in respect of a matter involving you personally (or under your supervision) for professional negligence without the matter being dismissed or are any such proceedings pending.
If yes, please provide details in the space below, including dates / No
Yes
Do you give your consent to the Board to make inquiries with the Law Society of Ireland and/or the Bar Council of Ireland in relation to any disciplinary processes that may have been made against you, which may have been dismissed or are pending. / No
Yes
Are you, or have you ever been, subject to the disciplinary process of the Bar Council of Ireland or the Law Society of Ireland in respect of a matter involving you personally or under your supervision (including the Bar’s and the Law Society’s procedures in respect of inadequate professional services or “shoddy work”) without the matter having been dismissed or are any such proceedings pending?
If yes, please provide details in the space below, including dates / No
Yes
Have you ever been notified by the Law Society or the Bar Council of any complaint pending against you?
(Including matters which are in the substance in the nature of a complaint whether or not the expression “complaint” has been used in the applicable notification)
If yes, please provide details in the space below, including dates and the nature of such complaint(s) / No
Yes
Are you aware of anything in your private or professional life which would be in conflict with the duties and responsibilities
of a judge?
If yes, please provide details in the space below / No
Yes
References
Please name two referees
References must be sent by referees (not by applicants) under separate cover to the Secretary. It is a matter for all applicants to ensure that the references have been furnished to the Secretary.
Please see referees template (enclosed).
1.
2.

SECTION 7: OTHER MATTERS

This section should highlight any non-legal achievements that you feel may be related to this application (no more than a few lines)

SECTION 8: Suitability for judicial appointment

Please indicate why you feel you are suitable for appointment as a Judge:
Please ensure this section is typed (use a separate sheet if necessary)
a) Personal qualities
b) Temperament appropriate to being a judge
c) Legal skills and experience
The attention of all applicants to the position of Ordinary Judge of the Supreme Court, Ordinary Judge of the Court of Appeal or of Ordinary Judge of the High Court is drawn to the provisions in the Court of Appeal Act, 2014, concerning the amendment of Section 16 of the Courts and Court Officers Act, 1995, regarding submission of names to the Minister.
Section 16 of the 1995 Courts and Court Officers Act (as amended):
“7(b)(i)(II)
In the case of an appointment to the office of Ordinary Judge of the Supreme Court, of Ordinary Judge of the Court of Appeal or of Ordinary Judge of the High Court, (the applicant) has an appropriate knowledge of the decisions, and an appropriate knowledge and appropriate experience of the practice and procedure of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court”
and
“(7)(b)(ii)
In determining whether the requirements of sub-paragraph (i)(II) of this paragraph are satisfied, the Board shall have regard, in particular, to the nature and extent of the practice of the persons concerned insofar as it relates to his or her personal conduct of proceedings in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court whether as an advocate or as a solicitor instructing counsel in such proceedings or both”.
Please explain how you are of the opinion that you satisfy these criteria.
Please ensure this section is typed (use a separate sheet if necessary)
FORMAL DECLARATION
I ______wish to be considered for judicial appointment
  1. I am a practising Barrister or Solicitor of not less than 12 years standing;
  2. I have read the provision of Section 16(7) of the Courts and Court Officers Act, 1995 (as amended) and I believe that I am qualified to be recommended by the Board;
  3. I undertake to take such courses of training and education, or both, as may be required by the Chief Justice or President of the Court should I be appointed;
  4. If appointed, I am willing to take my vacations within a roster if called on to cover period of Courts recess by the President and if requested, sit in any venue;
  5. In matters of a non-judicial nature relating to code of conduct and administration of Court services in the interest of efficiency, I will comply with the President’s, the Court’s and Chief Justice’s requests:
  6. I will provide if requested: (i) a Medical Certificate; and (ii) letter of good standing from my professional body or other body for the time being exercising disciplinary jurisdiction over barristers;
  7. I understand that further enquiries may be undertaken for security and medical checks and I undertake to co-operate fully with these enquiries, including attendance at a medical examination by the State’s Chief Medical Officer, if required;
  8. I state that all my Tax and Revenue affairs are up to date and enclose herewith a Tax Clearance Certificate in accordance with the Standards in Public Office Act, 2001, (as amended);
  9. I declare that all the information which I have provided on this form is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
DATED: ______
SIGNED: ______

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