The Government has nominated Síofra O’Leary for appointment as a judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Dublin-born O’Leary (58) previously served as president of the European Court of Human Rights from November 2022 to July 2024. She was the first female president of that court.
Before joining the ECHR in 2015, O’Leary worked for almost two decades at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in both judicial and administrative capacities.
Judges of the CJEU are appointed by common accord of the governments of EU member states for a six-year term.
Each member state adopts their own domestic process for the nomination of judges and the Irish nomination was made in accordance with the process set out in the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2024.
O’Leary, whose nomination was recommended to Government by the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, will now be presented to a panel established under the EU treaty. The panel gives an opinion on a candidate’s suitability to perform the duties of judge of the CJEU before representatives of the member states deciding on the appointment.
O’Leary is expected to take up her new role when the second term of office of Judge Eugene Regan, Ireland’s current appointee to the CJEU, ends in October 2027.