European Judges Hosted by Supreme Court

Throughout the month of November, the Supreme Court hosted Prof. Dr Christoph Külpmann, judge of the Federal Administrative Court of Germany, and Ms Heili Sepp, judge of the Supreme Court of Estonia, as part of this year's judicial exchange programme. Over the course of two weeks, the visiting judges engaged with the Irish legal system, observing hearings in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and High Court and meeting with judges across each jurisdiction.

Prof. Dr Külpmann and Ms Sepp were selected to participate in the programme through ACA-Europe and the Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union. During their time in Ireland, the visiting judges focused their attention on their areas of specialism, such as planning and zoning law, and the intricacies of defence rights and the use of interpretation in criminal proceedings. The visiting judges also participated as observers in the National Judicial Conference 2023 held in Dublin Castle. 

The judicial exchange programme, which takes place annually, facilitates a valuable exchange of knowledge and practices between European judicial systems.