A team of senior Irish judges travelled to London earlier this month for a bilateral exchange with members of the UK judiciary.

The two delegations discussed a number of issues in three separate sessions.

The first session – led by Lord Carloway, Sir Geoffrey Vos, Lord Kitchin and Ms Justice Marie Baker – covered the use of technology in the courts.

The judges discussed modernisation and the pandemic experience, sharing ways in which their respective courts had responded, and changed.

‘Remarkable’ engagement

The second session – led by Lady Rose, Lord Stephens and Mr Justice Gerard Hogan – focused on human rights, constitutional boundaries and the separation of powers.

The third session was led by Ms Justice Mary Irvine, Lord Hodge and Mr Justice Brian Murray, and explored contemporary issues in the law of torts.

After the talks, the delegations attended receptions hosted by the Lord Mayor of London and Ireland’s ambassador to the UK Adrian O’Neill.

Lord Reed (UK Supreme Court President, small picture, left) described the engagement between the two delegations as ”remarkable”.

“This valuable exchange ensured the close relationship of our two common-law jurisdictions endures,” he added.

Next meeting in 2024

Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell (small picture, right) said: "The importance of the issues discussed between the senior judiciary of both Ireland and the United Kingdom, the range of our discussions, the value of the insights exchanged, and the good relationships fostered and developed, all illustrate the considerable continuing benefit of these bilateral exchanges between common-law jurisdictions with much shared history and close and valued connections”.

The Chief Justice invited the UK judges to meet again in Dublin in 2024 for the next exchange.

The UK delegation comprised:

• Lord Reed (President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom),
• Lord Burnett (Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales),
• Lord Carloway (Lord President of the Court of Session),
• Dame Siobhan Keegan (Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland),
• Sir Geoffrey Vos (Master of the Rolls),
• Lord Hodge (Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom),
• Lord Kitchin (Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom),
• Lord Stephens (Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom),
• Lady Rose (Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom).

The Irish delegation comprised:

• Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell (Chief Justice of Ireland),
• Mr Justice George Birmingham (President of the Court of Appeal),
• Ms Justice Mary Irvine (President of the High Court),
• Mr Justice John MacMenamin (Judge of the Supreme Court),
• Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne (Judge of the Supreme Court),
• Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley (Judge of the Supreme Court),
• Ms Justice Marie Baker (Judge of the Supreme Court),
• Mr Justice Gerard Hogan (Judge of the Supreme Court),
• Mr Justice Brian Murray (Judge of the Supreme Court).