The Government has agreed to nominate Mr Justice Senan Allen for appointment as an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal by the President of Ireland.

The vacancy arose after Mr Justice Brian Murray was appointed to the Supreme Court earlier this year.

Mr Justice Allen was called to the Bar in 1983, called to the Inner Bar in 2000, and appointed as a judge of the High Court in October 2018.

Circuit Court and District Court

The Government also agreed on a number of other judicial nominations.

Barrister Kenneth Connolly has been nominated for appointment as an ordinary judge of the Circuit Court, filling the gap left by the appointment Mr Justice Rory MacCabe to the High Court in January.

Three solicitors – Andrew Cody, Michéle Finan, and Conor Fottrell (small picture) – have also been nominated to serve as ordinary judges of the District Court.

These vacancies arose after the retirement of Judge Kevin Kilrane on 1 March, and the appointments of Judge Catherine Staines and Judge Michael P Walsh to the Circuit Court.

Judicial appointments are made by the President, acting on the advice of the Government.

Andrew Cody has been in practice with Reidy Stafford LLP in Newbridge and Kilcullen, Co Kildare  for several decades.

He has been chair of the Law Society Complaints Committee, chair of the Garda Disciplinary Panels, Independent Deputy Chairman of the Appeals Body of the Turf Club and a member of the Complaints Committee of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority.