This weekend more than 250 members of the judiciary will gather in Co Dublin to discuss the operation and administration of the courts, against the backdrop of the publication of the new Courts Service Bill this week.
The Courts Conference, which was opened last night by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr O'Donoghue, will consist of keynote speeches by overseas legal administrators and the holding of tutorial work groups.
The new Bill provides for the setting up of an independent agency to manage the State's court system.
The agency's principal role will be the management of the courts. It will also have responsibility for providing information and facilities to the public and maintaining court buildings.
Last night at Fitzpatrick's Castle Hotel, Killiney, the Minister said he was confident the conference would provide a useful insight into the practical aspects of managing the courts under the new structure and help identify the key values and targets which would be necessary for the courts service to succeed.
The decision to establish the courts service came from the belief that existing structures for managing the courts were no longer adequate.
The Minister said that an effective court system should provide a high level and quality of service to the public with the minimum waste and effort. A service which was inefficient impeded justice.