Supreme Court (Ireland)

Supreme Court of Ireland
Cúirt Uachtarach na hÉireann
Coat of Arms of Ireland
Established	29 December 1937
Country	Ireland
Location	Four Courts, Dublin, Ireland
Coordinates	53°20′45″N 6°16′25″W / 53.345937°N 6.273537°W / 53.345937; -6.273537Coordinates: 53°20′45″N 6°16′25″W / 53.345937°N 6.273537°W / 53.345937; -6.273537
Composition method	By the President, acting on the binding advice of the Government
Authorized by	Constitution of Ireland, Article 34
Judge term length	Until aged 70, 7 years for Chief Justice
No. of positions	10 and 2 ex-officio members
Website	www.supremecourt.ie
Chief Justice of Ireland
Currently	Susan Denham
Since	July 2011

The Supreme Court of Ireland (Irish: Cúirt Uachtarach na hÉireann) is the highest judicial authority in Ireland. It is a court of final appeal and exercises, in conjunction with the Court of Appeal and the High Court, judicial review over Acts of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament). The Supreme Court also has jurisdiction to ensure compliance with the Constitution of Ireland by governmental bodies and private citizens. It sits in the Four Courts in Dublin.

The Supreme Court was formally established on 29 September 1961 under the terms of the 1937 Constitution of Ireland. Prior to 1961, a transitory provision of the 1937 Constitution permitted the Supreme Court of the Irish Free State to continue, though the justices were required to take the new oath of office prescribed by the 1937 Constitution. The latter court was established by the Courts of Justice Act 1924 under the terms of the 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State. Prior to 1924, a transitory provision of the 1922 Constitution permitted the Supreme Court of Judicature to continue, the latter established in 1877 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Whereas the 1924 act was a comprehensive revision of the court's foundation preserving little of the 1877 arrangement, the 1961 act was a brief formal restatement in terms of the 1937 Constitution.

The Supreme Court consists of its president called the Chief Justice, and not more than nine ordinary members. There are two ex officio members: the President of the Court of Appeal who normally sits in the Court of Appeal, and the President of the High Court who normally sits in the High Court. The Supreme Court sits in divisions of three, five or seven judges. Two or more divisions may sit at the same time. When determining whether the President is permanently incapacitated within the meaning of Article 12 of the constitution, ruling on the constitutionality of a bill referred to it by the President under Article 26, or ruling on the constitutionality of any law the court must consist of at least five members.