Legal Research and Library Services

The Legal Research and Library Services Committee was created in December 2020 The purpose of the Committee is to provide judicial input and guidance to the management team of the Legal Research and Library Services (LRLS) regarding the provision of legal research and library services. The Committee provides support with regard to the maintenance of existing services, as well as for the development and progress of new initiatives for the benefit of the judiciary.

The committee members are:

The Hon. Ms Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh (Chair);
The Hon Mr Justice John MacMenamin;
The Hon. Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty;
The Hon Mr Justice Mark Heslin;
Her Honour Judge Pauline Codd;
Judge Colm Roberts; and
Laura Butler, Head of Legal Research and Library Services.

In summary, the LRLS covers a wide remit including running the Judges’ Library, management of the Research Support Office (RSO) and Judicial Assistants (JAs), European Union and International Committee work,  implementation of our Knowledge Management (KM) system and training of the  Judicial Assistants (JAs) and Research Support Associates (RSAs).

A protocol has been established in response to the number of requests received annually to members of, and jurisdictions within, the judiciary to participate in research.

The protocol can be viewed via this link:
Judicial Participation in Research Projects – Guidance for Researchers

The Legal Research and Library Service (LRLS) is made up of two component parts:

1. The Knowledge and Information section
2. The frontline assistance for the judiciary
    

The Knowledge and Information Section

This Section consists of the Research Support Office, the Knowledge Management Staff, the Library Staff, and the Legal Research Managers and Executives.
 

The frontline assistance for the judiciary

This Section comprises the judicial assistants, together with the executive legal officers and senior executive legal officers.

Research Support Associates (RSAs), who are based in the Research Support Office (the RSO) provide a single point of contact to the judiciary for legal research.

Vacancies as they become available will be listed on the Courts Service Careers page.