by The board of the judicial council, the body set up to oversee the judiciary and maintain public confidence in the administration of justice, is meeting today.
The meeting is understood to have been convened at short notice as the controversy over Supreme Court judge, Seamus Woulfe, continues.
The judicial council, which is made up of all judges in Ireland, met for the first time in February after its establishment a year ago.
Its role includes maintaining public confidence in the administration of justice as well as overseeing judicial conduct and performance.
Its judicial conduct committee is working on drafting guidelines for making and resolving complaints, and legislation in these areas has not yet come into effect.
A meeting of the board of the council, made up of 11 members, including the Chief Justice Frank Clarke was convened at short notice this week. It was due to take place on Wednesday but will now happen today.
It’s understood there is no fixed agenda for the meeting and a “general discussion” will take place.
It comes in the middle of an unprecedented crisis for the Supreme Court following the attendance of Judge Seamus Woulfe at an Oireachtas Golf dinner in Galway in August.
The judicial council was responsible for publishing the review of former Chief Justice, Susan Denham, into the issue.
It also published a transcript of her interview with Judge Woulfe and indemnified her in relation to any potential legal action in relation to the matter.
Ms Justice Denham concluded that Judge Woulfe should not have gone to the dinner but that calls for his resignation would be unjust and disproportionate.
Mr Justice Clarke released correspondence a week ago expressing the view that Judge Woulfe should resign due to the cumulative effect of the controversy and the way Judge Woulfe had handled it since.
The correspondence showed Judge Woulfe did not intend to resign but was willing to accept any sanction imposed by the Chief Justice under which he will not sit as a judge until February and will forgo his salary for that period.
The correspondence highlighted the depth of division over the controversy.
The Chief Justice noted he had received an email from Judge Woulfe after a meeting with three senior colleagues on 2 October.
Mr Justice Clarke said he had asked Judge Woulfe a number of times to confirm he had not been suggesting any inappropriate conduct, and that Judge Woulfe had not addressed this.
It’s understood the contents of Judge Woulfe’s email on 4 October have caused particular concern amongst some of his colleagues on the Supreme Court.
The only way a judge can be removed from office is if Oireachtas members pass a motion to begin such proceedings only on the grounds of “stated misbehaviour” or “incapacity”.
The outcome of today’s meeting of the Judicial Council Board will be watched with interest particularly in Leinster House. Labour Party leader Alan Kelly has said he intends to ask the Taoiseach again to write to Frank Clarke seeking the release of all correspondence between the Chief Justice and Judge Woulfe.
The Opposition also intend to continue the focus on the way Judge Woulfe was appointed to the Supreme Court.
Mr Kelly has called on the Justice Minister Helen McEntee to make a Dáil statement on the matter, after it emerged last week in an Irish Times report that she did not tell the Taoiseach that three sitting judges had expressed interest in the position.
