Courts Act, 1964

Assignment of judge to circuit in certain circumstances.

4.—(1) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 20 of the Act of 1961, where, at any time when there are two judges permanently assigned to the Dublin Circuit and there is a judge permanently assigned to each other circuit and there is no judge who is not permanently assigned to a circuit, a judge is appointed, such judge may be permanently assigned to any circuit by the Government in place of a judge who ceases to be permanently assigned to that circuit and, pending such assignment, may from time to time be temporarily assigned to any circuit by the President of the Circuit Court.

(2) Where a judge is permanently assigned to a circuit, the Government, at his request, may, if they so think fit, terminate his permanent assignment to that circuit and the judge may at any time thereafter be permanently assigned to any circuit by the Government and, pending such assignment, may from time to time be temporarily assigned to any circuit by the President of the Circuit Court but at any time there shall not be more than one judge who is not permanently assigned to a circuit.

(3) Where a judge is temporarily assigned, under subsection (1) or (2) of this section, to a circuit, then such judge shall, while so temporarily assigned, have, in relation to such circuit and concurrently with any judge permanently assigned thereto and any judge who is temporarily assigned, under section 10 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1947 , as applied by section 48 of the Act of 1961 to such circuit, all the privileges, powers and duties for the time being conferred or imposed by law on a judge permanently assigned to such circuit.

(4) In this section “judge” means judge of the Circuit Court.