Courts Act, 1977

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR No. 11/1977

Number 11 of 1977
COURTS ACT, 1977
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section 1. Number of ordinary judges of High Court and Circuit Court and number of justices of District Court. 2. Assignment of judges of Circuit Court to circuits. 3. Consequential. 4. Repeals. 5. Short title, collective citation and construction.
Number 11 of 1977
COURTS ACT, 1977
AN ACT TO AMEND AND EXTEND THE COURTS (SUPPLEMENTAL PROVISIONS) ACTS, 1961 TO 1973. [10th May, 1977]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:
	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...