No. 6/1997:

COURTS ACT, 1997

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Section

1. Repeal and substitution of section 9 of Courts and Court Officers Act, 1995.

2. Short title, construction and collective citation.

ACTS REFERRED TO

Number 6 of 1997

COURTS ACT, 1997

AN ACT TO AMEND THE COURTS AND COURT OFFICERS ACT, 1995 , TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ORDINARY JUDGES OF THE HIGH COURT, AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

[20th March, 1997]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:

1.—The Courts and Court Officers Act, 1995 , is hereby amended by the substitution of the following section for section 9:

"9. Number of ordinary judges of High Court.

(1) The number of ordinary judges of the High Court shall not be more than 22.

(2) The following paragraph shall be substituted for paragraph (b) (inserted by the Courts and Court Officers Act, 1995 ) of section 14 (1) of the Law Reform Commission Act, 1975 :

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

(i) the number of ordinary judges of the High Court shall not be more than 23, and

(ii) the reference in section 9 (1) (as inserted by the Courts Act, 1997 ) of the Courts and Court Officers Act, 1995 , to 22 shall be construed as a reference to 23, and'.".

2.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Courts Act, 1997 .

(2) The Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Acts, 1961 to 1996, and this Act shall be construed together as one and may be cited together as the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Acts, 1961 to 1997.