Tullamore District Court judge is promoted to Circuit Court

THE judge at Tullamore and Portlaoise District Courts, Catherine Staines, has been appointed to the Circuit Court.

Judge Staines' promotion was announced by solicitor Donal Farrelly at today's (Wednesday, February 16) sitting of Tullamore District Court.

Judge Staines has been sitting in Court District Number 15 for the past 11 years and speaking on behalf of the legal practitioners, Mr Farrelly congratulated her on her elevation to the higher court.

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Mr Farrelly said the local lawyers “weren't sure what to expect” when Judge Staines arrived on the bench in Tullamore “as a young inexperienced judge” though they knew she came from a family with a strong tradition in the legal world.

The solicitor said he and his colleagues wanted someone who was efficient, thoughtful and respectful, but most of all, decisive, and she was all of those things.

“We found that whether we agreed with you or not, you certainly were decisive,” the solicitor remarked.

He added: “With young people we found that you were always compassionate, considerate and forgiving. I think that's an important quality in any judge.”

Mr Farrelly told Judge Staines her most important quality was that she was always extremely kind and considerate to those on the margins of society.

He cited as examples when she asked the County Council to provide people with accommodation, when she asked the legal practitioners to “put their hands in their own pockets” to pay for tickets for their clients to get home, and when she asked the legal representatives to buy mobile phones for them.

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“We are sorry to lose you and we are going to be hard pressed to find a more efficient judge. You are a great asset to the Circuit Court and I wish you well,” concluded Mr Farrelly.

Speaking on behalf of the gardai, Sergeant James O'Sullivan congratulated her and wished her well.

Looking back on his four years in Tullamore at her court, Sergeant O'Sullivan said: “You've always treated us fairly. You are going to be missed here in Tullamore.”

Judge Staines said it had been a privilege for her to serve the people of Tullamore and Portlaoise and joked that after 11 years “I'm sure you'll be glad to have a change”.

She paid tribute to the superb court staff and described the solicitors as “excellent”, saying they were a pleasure to deal with and the gardai had always been very helpful to her.

Judge Staines indicated that she will be in the District Court for a few more weeks before taking up her new position.

The Circuit Court judge in the Midlands Circuit is Judge Keenan Johnson and he stated recently that many more appointments would have to be made to the circuit bench to deal with a growing backlog of cases.

“I am really looking forward to the new challenge and I may indeed be back to help Judge Johnson because I know he has very heavy lists,” said Judge Staines.

It is expected to be some time before a permanent replacement for Judge Staines is appointed.