The Government has approved legislation to increase by 14 the number of judges in the High, Circuit and District courts to help reduce waiting lists and to speed up judicial review cases.
In December the Cabinet agreed to increase the number of judges by nine through the Courts and Courts Officers Bill, but yesterday Minister for Justice Michael McDowell got approval to increase that figure further to 14.
Four of the new judges will be assigned to the High Court, four to the Circuit Court and six to the District Court, a Department of Justice spokeswoman confirmed.
This is in addition to the nomination by the Government yesterday of Judge John Hedigan to the High Court.
The number of judges in each court, excluding presidents, currently stands at 31 in the High Court, 33 in the Circuit Court and 54 in the District Court. The 14 new judges to be provided for in the Courts and Courts Officers Bill will be in addition to judges currently sitting in the courts.
In December Mr Justice John Quirke warned that the High Court's judicial review list was in danger of collapse and many cases might have to be adjourned because there was only one judge available to manage the extensive workload.
He said hundreds of cases were pending in the High Court judicial review list, which hears challenges against a series of major decisions.
The extra High Court judges will be used to reduce waiting periods in the Central Criminal Court and also to fast-track judicial review cases, especially review cases arising from major infrastructural projects, thus curbing the growth of judicial review as a delaying tactic.
Circuit Court judges will also be used to reduce waiting lists.
The increase in the number of District Court judges is to reflect the increased workload and the fact that cases are becoming more complex and lengthy.
It is acknowledged that additional judges are required in order to fully implement the provisions of the Children Act 2001.
The legislation providing for the additional judges is expected to be enacted in the next few months.
Meanwhile the Cabinet yesterday agreed to nominate Judge Hedigan for appointment to the High Court.
He has been a judge of the European Court of Human Rights since 1998.
Before his appointment to that court, Judge Hedigan had been in practice as a barrister for 22 years, including eight years as a senior counsel.