Uimhir 11 de 1977

ACHT NA gCÚIRTEANNA, 1977

[An tiontú oifigiúil]

An líon gnáthbhreithiúna san Ard-Chúirt agus sa Chúirt Chuarda agus an líon breithiúna sa Chúirt Dúiche.

1.—(1) Naonúr ar a mhéid an líon gnáth-bhreithiúna a bheidh san Ard-Chúirt.

(2) Aon déag ar a mhéid an líon gnáth-bhreithiúna a bheidh sa Chúirt Chuarda.

(3) Naonúr is tríocha ar a mhéid, i dteannta Uachtarán na Cúirte Dúiche, an líon breithiúna a bheidh sa Chúirt Dúiche.

Breithiúna den Chúirt Chuarda a shannadh do chuarda.

2.—(1) (a) Beidh ceathrar breitheamh den Chúirt Chuarda buansannta do Chuaird Bhaile Átha Cliath.

(b) Beidh breitheamh amháin den Chúirt Chuarda buansannta do gach cuaird eile.

(2) I gcás breitheamh den Chúirt Chuarda a bheith ceaptha, déanfaidh an Rialtas é a bhuansannadh—

(a) do Chuaird Bhaile Átha Cliath más rud é ar dháta an cheaptha gur lú ná ceathrar an líon breithiúna a bheidh buansannta don chuaird sin, nó

(b) d'aon chuaird eile nach mbeidh ar dháta an cheaptha aon bhreitheamh buansannta di.

(3) I gcás breitheamh den Chúirt Chuarda a bheith ceaptha agus nach féidir é a bhuansannadh do chuaird áirithe ar é a cheapadh, féadfar, aon tráth dá éis sin, an breitheamh sin a bhuansannadh do chuaird ar bith le folúntas a líonadh do bhreitheamh a buansannadh don chuaird sin.

(4) Aon bhreitheamh den Chúirt Chuarda a bheidh buansannta do chuaird áirithe féadfaidh an Rialtas, tráth ar bith, má thoilíonn an breitheamh leis ach ní fhéadfaidh ar aon slí eile, é a aistriú go dtí cuaird eile le folúntas a líonadh do bhreitheamh a buansannadh don chuaird eile sin agus ar an aistriú sin tiocfaidh sé chun bheith agus beidh sé buansannta don chuaird eile sin in ionad na cuarda chéadluaite.

(5) I gcás breitheamh den Chúirt Chuarda a bheith buansannta do chuaird, féadfaidh an Rialtas, ar iarratas ón mbreitheamh, más cuí leo é, deireadh a chur lena bhuansannadh don chuaird sin agus féadfaidh an Rialtas aon tráth dá éis sin an breitheamh a bhuansannadh do chuaird ar bith le folúntas a líonadh do bhreitheamh a buansannadh don chuaird sin.

(6) Breitheamh den Chúirt Chuarda nach mbeidh de thuras na huaire buansannta do chuaird áirithe féadfaidh Uachtarán na Cúirte Cuarda é a shannadh go sealadach ó am go ham do chuaird ar bith.

(7) I gcás breitheamh den Chúirt Chuarda a bheith sannta go sealadach, faoi fho-alt (6) den alt seo, do chuaird, beidh ag an mbreitheamh sin, fad a bheidh sé sannta go sealadach amhlaidh, i ndáil leis an gcuaird sin agus i gcomhréim le haon bhreitheamh a bheidh buansannta don chuaird sin agus le haon bhreitheamh a bheidh sannta go sealadach, faoi alt 10 den Acht Cúirteanna Breithiúnais, 1947, arna fheidhmiú le halt 48 d'Acht na gCúirteanna (Forálacha Forlíontacha), 1961, don chuaird sin, na pribhléidí agus na cumhachtaí go léir, agus beidh na dualgais go léir air, a bheidh, de thuras na huaire, bronnta nó forchurtha le dlí ar bhreitheamh a buansannadh don chuaird sin.

Iarmhartach.

3.—(1) Cuirfear an clásal seo a leanas in ionad chlásal (b) de mhír 2 (1) den Séú Sceideal a ghabhann le hAcht na gCúirteanna (Forálacha Forlíontacha), 1961 :

“(b) Más rud é, an tráth a cheapfar duine ina bhreitheamh dúiche, go mbeidh naonúr breitheamh dúiche ann nach bhfuil buansannta do dhúichí áirithe, déanfaidh an Rialtas an duine sin a bhuansannadh do dhúiche áirithe”.

(2) Cuirfear an mhír seo a leanas in ionad mhír (b) d'alt 14 (1) den Acht fán gCoimisiún um Athchóiriú an Dlí, 1975 :

“(b) más rud é ar é a cheapadh amhlaidh gurb é Uachtarán na hArd-Chúirte é nó gur gnáth-bhreitheamh den Ard-Chúirt é, ansin fad a shealbhóidh sé an oifig bhreithiúnach a shealbhaigh sé ar é a cheapadh amhlaidh—

(i) is deichniúr ar a mhéid an líon gnáth-bhreithiúna a bheidh san Ard-Chúirt, agus

(ii) déanfar an tagairt in alt 1 (1) d'Acht na gCúirteanna, 1977, do naonúr a fhorléiriú mar thagairt do dheichniúr, agus”.

Aisghairm.

4.—Aisghairtear leis seo fo-ailt (2) agus (3) d'alt 20 agus alt 28 d'Acht na gCúirteanna (Forálacha Forlíontacha), 1961, ailt 2 (1) agus 4 d'Acht na gCúirteanna, 1964, agus alt 1 (1) d'Acht na gCúirteanna, 1973.

Gearrtheideal, comhlua agus forléiriú.

5.—(1) Féadfar Acht na gCúirteanna, 1977, a ghairm den Acht seo.

(2) Féadfar Achtanna na gCúirteanna (Forálacha Forlíontacha), 1961 go 1977, a ghairm d'Achtanna na gCúirteanna (Forálacha Forlíontacha), 1961 go 1973, agus den Acht seo le chéile agus forléireofar iad le chéile mar aon Acht amháin.

Number 11 of 1977

COURTS ACT, 1977

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Number 11 of 1977

COURTS ACT, 1977

Number of ordinary judges of High Court and Circuit Court and number of justices of District Court.

1.—(1) The number of ordinary judges of the High Court shall not be more than nine.

(2) The number of ordinary judges of the Circuit Court shall not be more than eleven.

(3) The number of justices of the District Court, in addition to the President of the District Court, shall not be more than thirty-nine.

Assignment of judges of Circuit Court to circuits.

2.—(1) (a) There shall be four judges of the Circuit Court permanently assigned to the Dublin Circuit.

(b) There shall be one judge of the Circuit Court permanently assigned to each other circuit.

(2) Where a judge of the Circuit Court is appointed, the Government shall permanently assign him either—

(a) to the Dublin Circuit if at the date of the appointment there are less than four judges permanently assigned to that circuit, or

(b) to any other circuit to which at the date of appointment there is no judge permanently assigned.

(3) Where a judge of the Circuit Court is appointed and cannot be permanently assigned to a particular circuit on appointment, such judge may, at any time thereafter, be permanently assigned to any circuit to fill a vacancy for a judge permanently assigned to that circuit.

(4) Any judge of the Circuit Court who is permanently assigned to a particular circuit may at any time, if he so consents but not otherwise, be transferred by the Government to another circuit to fill a vacancy for a judge permanently assigned to that other circuit and shall upon such transfer become and be permanently assigned to that other circuit in lieu of the first-mentioned circuit.

(5) Where a judge of the Circuit Court is permanently assigned to a circuit, the Government, at his request, may, if they so think fit, terminate his permanent assignment to that circuit and the judge may at any time thereafter be permanently assigned by the Government to any circuit to fill a vacancy for a judge permanently assigned to that circuit.

(6) A judge of the Circuit Court who is not for the time being permanently assigned to a particular circuit may from time to time be temporarily assigned to any circuit by the President of the Circuit Court.

(7) Where a judge of the Circuit Court is temporarily assigned, under subsection (6) of this section, to a circuit, such judge shall, while so temporarily assigned, have, in relation to such circuit and concurrently with any judge permanently assigned thereto and any judge who is temporarily assigned, under section 10 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1947, as applied by section 48 of the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act, 1961, to such circuit, all the privileges, powers and duties for the time being conferred or imposed by law on a judge permanently assigned to such circuit.

Consequential.

3.—(1) The following clause shall be substituted for clause (b) of paragraph 2 (1) of the Sixth Schedule to the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act, 1961:

“(b) Where, at the time of the appointment of a person to be a district justice, there are nine district justices not permanently assigned to particular districts, the Government shall assign that person permanently to a particular district”.

(2) The following paragraph shall be substituted for paragraph (b) of section 14 (1) of the Law Reform Commission Act, 1975:

“(b) in case on being so appointed he is the President of the High Court or an ordinary judge of the High Court, then for so long as he continues to hold the judicial office held by him on so being appointed—

(i) the number of ordinary judges of the High Court shall not be more than ten, and

(ii) the reference in section 1 (1) of the Courts Act, 1977, to nine shall be construed as a reference to ten, and”.

Repeals.

4.—Subsections (2) and (3) of section 20 and section 28 of the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act, 1961, sections 2 (1) and 4 of the Courts Act, 1964, and section 1 (1) of the Courts Act, 1973, are hereby repealed.

Short title, collective citation and construction.

5.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Courts Act, 1977.

(2) The Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Acts, 1961 to 1973, and this Act may be cited together as the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Acts, 1961 to 1977, and shall be construed together as one.