A creaky chair, a full-length mirror... and a new peephole
A PEEPHOLE so a judge could see who was at his door, a replacement for a ‘creaky’ chair, and a mystery missing leather armchair were among the issues raised by members of the judiciary about their chambers and court rooms.
Other judges raised problems with windows that wouldn’t open, the glare of the sun on a computer screen, and a radiator that wouldn’t turn on, in requests made to the Courts Service.
After Judge Séamus Woulfe moved to new chambers last October, his assistant wrote about a problem with a bell that was causing confusion. In an email, he said: ‘This area is now for two judges but there is only one bell which rings quite loud in the hall; could this be changed so that both judges don’t have to come out when the door is rung, to an intercom for each chambers for example?’
The request added: ‘There is no peephole on the outer door, or video camera system etc. Could a peephole be put on the outer door please?’
An assistant to Judge Emily Egan also wrote last October to say her chambers were badly in need of upgrading.
Among the problems flagged were a jammed window that also needed to be cleaned, a repaint of the chambers, and a ‘deep clean’ for the rooms themselves. Another judge had a problem with a radiator in her room that was stuck in the ‘off’ position. ‘If someone gets a chance, they might advise me on regulating [it],’ said High Court judge Siobhán Stack.
‘I have marked the colours with an asterisk’
Judge Stack also said there was a nice painting in her room ‘presumably belonging to the OPW’ which she wanted to hang up. ‘I would do it myself but understand that this is not on,’ she said in the emails sent last October.
The office of Judge Elizabeth Dunne requested a deep clean for new chambers she was moving into and advised its dining table had a broken leg.
‘She would like this replaced with [a] dining table of a similar size and one that matches the wood of the existing furniture,’ said an email.
An assistant to Judge Caroline Biggs reported a leather armchair that seemed to have gone astray, also asking for a cutlery drawer insert, a shredder, and an extension cord.
Judge Nuala Butler’s office sent several requests for when she moved rooms, including repair of a missing foot on a fridge and broken blinds, as well as asking for a full-length mirror for the inside of a wardrobe door.
High Court judge Tony O’Connor suggested new carpet needed to be laid in his new chambers ‘given the state of [it] now’. He also recommended a repaint of the rooms if that work was to go ahead, writing: ‘I hope I am not being presumptuous – I think my request will save time and effort in the long run.’ He even chose the Farrow and Ball paint that would be suitable. An email said: ‘I have marked the colours with an asterisk and circled the asterisks in the colour chart.’
Judge Niamh Hyland flagged a problem with sunlight streaming through her window, making it difficult to see her computer screen. She said: ‘My new chambers are great… however, when doing a hearing online, the sun was very high in the afternoon, and it was clear I will need effective blinds on at least the west-facing windows.’
District Court judge Brian O’Shea wrote to say there was ‘mould on the walls’ in the toilet area of Cashel Courthouse, according to an email. He said he also needed items removed including dead plants and used batteries in a sink area. ‘Pictures have been removed from the walls and they have been left looking very unkempt,’ he said. ‘The walls clearly need to be painted.’
The office of District Court judge Raymond Finnegan wrote to say he was ‘not happy’ with the chairs in his chambers or courthouse in Cavan. ‘The [chair] on the bench is particularly creaky,’ said an email. ‘He has asked me if we could get him two new chairs, but he is quite specific and would like two chairs like his chairs in Letterkenny.’
In another request, Judge Úna Ní Raifeartaigh complained that her chair was not as comfortable as those of other judges.
Her assistant Kirstin Deery wrote: ‘Ní Raifeartaigh J has indicated that her current chair in chambers is not very comfortable .... I was wondering if it would be possible for another chair to be brought to her chambers?’