Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has announced that the Irish government will hold a referendum to reorganise the structure of the courts. Such reorganisation will include the establishment of a court of civil appeal and a new family court structure. The referendum will allow the government to establish additional superior courts rather than one new court. Further courts could then be established without a referendum if necessary.
A working group chaired by Chief Justice Susan Denham had recommended the establishment of a court of appeal, with a civil and a criminal panel, to hear appeals other than those that raise constitutional issues. Last year the Supreme Court received almost 500 new appeals and at present the only way to appeal a decision on a civil matter in the High Court is through the Supreme Court. Other Supreme Courts in different jurisdictions generally hear fewer than 100 cases a year.
Further Constitutional changes are also being considered, including providing for the President to refer a Bill to the Supreme Court and the ability for the government to refer to the Supreme Court international agreements it intended to ratify.