For the first time the Government has advertised the €170,000 a year post of Irish judge on the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
In previous years three names were put forward by the Government, and then voted on by the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, which formally elects the judges. The system was not transparent, and there were ways in which the Government could indicate its preferred candidate.
The advertisement appears on the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and it calls for applications for nomination for election to the court. The successful candidate will take office on November 1st this year.
The candidates must be "of high moral character and must either possess the qualifications required for appointment to high judicial office or be jurisconsults of recognised competence". This means that legal academics may apply, as well as barristers or solicitors eligible to apply to be judges of the High and Supreme courts in Ireland, or serving judges.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs will then bring forward a memo to the Government, as a basis for the selection of three names, which will be sent forward in alphabetical order to the Council of Europe. These will be interviewed by an ad-hoc sub-committee of the legal affairs and human rights committee of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe. The assembly, which includes a number of Irish TDs, will elect one of the three at its session at the end of April.
The incumbent, Judge John Hedigan, is entitled to seek re-election, or he may return to Ireland to take up a judicial position.
The closing date for the receipt of applications is February 3rd.