For the first time judges have elected representatives from among their ranks to assist in administering the courts.
Ms Justice Susan Denham has been elected to represent the judges of the Supreme Court and Ms Catherine Justice McGuinness will represent her colleagues on the High Court bench on the new Courts Service Board, which will be established by the Minister for Justice today.
Judge Sean O'Leary will represent the Circuit Court bench and Judge William Early the judges of the District Court.
This afternoon, Mr O'Donoghue will sign an order bringing to an end over a century of administration of the courts by a government department. He will bring into existence the Courts Service Board, which will have independent responsibility for the management, administration and funding of the courts.
The Chief Justice, Mr Justice Liam Hamilton, and the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Fred Morris, are ex officio members of the board, as is the President of the Circuit Court, Mr Justice Esmond Smyth, and the President of the District Court, Judge Peter Smithwick.
The other members of the board are the chairman of the Bar Council, Mr Liam McKechnie SC, the president of the Law Society, Mr Pat O'Connor, Ms Noreen Greene, of the ICTU, Mr Michael Mellett, of the Department of Justice, Ms Olive Braiden, of the Rape Crisis Centre, who is the users' representative, Ms Elizabeth O'Neill, representing business, and the Courts Service chief executive, Mr P.J. Fitzpatrick.
Ms Elisha Darcy will represent the courts staff on the board.
There will be no obvious, instantaneous change in the way the courts are run but the changeover will make possible a new, streamlined and efficient courts service with its own budget.
Mr Fitzpatrick will appear before the Public Accounts Committee to explain the administration and justify the expenditure of the Courts Service. That expenditure will amount to £24 million this year, £13 million of which will go on the physical infrastructure of the courts.
Carol Coulter can be contacted at ccoulter@irish-times.ie