Civil servants were uneasy about acceding to a request from the Chief Justice to fill a Supreme Court vacancy during the General Election campaign earlier this year.
Mr Justice Frank Clarke wrote to then Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan on February 4 requesting a vacancy be filled.
The position was ultimately given to former Attorney General Séamus Woulfe, but not until July, by which point a new Government had been formed.
He subsequently became embroiled in controversy over his involvement in ‘Golfgate’, while Justice Minister Helen McEntee faced questions over his selection when five sitting judges had also expressed an interest in the role.
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Flanagan told Chief Justice in February that Supreme Court vacancy was a matter for the next government
Correspondence relating to the matter has been released under a Freedom of Information request. By Gráinne Ní Aodha Thursday 17 Dec 2020, 1:06 PM Dec 17th 2020, 1:06 PM 12,231 Views 1 Comment
Image: Leah Farrell
Image: Leah Farrell
THE JUSTICE MINISTER had advised Chief Justice Frank Clarke in February that the task of filling the vacancy at Supreme Court was a matter for the next government.
Correspondence released to
TheJournal.ie under a Freedom of Information request shows that several Justice Department officials concluded that the judicial appointment was a matter for the next government, and expressed surprise at the timing of Clarke’s request.