Judicial Review overhaul and streamlining of courts processes

Cabinet approval was secured to publish the General Scheme of Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill 2026 to amend the Judicial Council Act 2019 regarding Personal Injuries Guidelines.

The General Scheme also provides for procedural amendments regarding Sentencing Guidelines necessary to comply with the requirements of the Delaney judgement (2024) IESC 10.

The Bill further provides for the Programme for Government commitment to empower the Minister to ask the Judicial Council to draw up sentencing guidelines for a particular crime area within a certain timeframe and requires the Council to comply with such a request.

A further provision of the Bill sets out that future Secretaries of the Judicial Council will be classed as civil servants rather than public servants.

The General scheme is available here.