Events

Date: 26/06/2019

33 members attended

Commentary

A Breakfast Briefing took place on 26th June 2019 which was attended by 33 members. The speaker was Frank Clarke, the 12th and current Chief Justice of Ireland

He took his seat on 28 July 2017, having been appointed by Michael D. Higgins. He has served as a Judge of the Supreme Court since February 2012. He previously served as a Judge of the High Court from 2004 to 2012.

He was seen as one of the most influential figures on the Supreme Court. He is socially liberal and while he is usually in the majority in split decisions, he gave the sole dissenting judgment on a seven-judge court in a landmark surrogacy case in 2014.

Clarke has also laid down important markers. For example, in a recent case, he noted there was a real problem with access to justice and in effect suggested that if nothing was done about it that the courts themselves would be forced to act.

It was very useful for ACESA members to hear about the 10-year strategy for reform of the courts.  Bringing the courts service into the 21st century requires considerable state investment, but this is essential for a functioning society, and such investment should save the state and its agencies money in the medium- to long-term. Leadership challenges such as those the Chief Justice described are common across the public service (hence the importance of a platform like ACESA)

The audience was given insights into the Chief Justice’s thinking, and his observations about the pace of change were well worth noting. Change takes time but throughout change it is essential as a leader to have your own vision, to keep pushing for change, and not to let barriers get in the way. His catchphrase ‘You can’t complain if you don’t explain’ struck a chord with many members.

All in all, Frank Clarke proved to be a very interesting and engaging speaker. The majority of the audience reported that they were very happy with the event and that they found it extremely useful.