Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to examine proposed reforms to personal injuries and sentencing guidelines

Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to examine proposed reforms to personal injuries and sentencing guidelines
The Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration will meet tomorrow, Tuesday February 10th with officials from the Department of Justice to undertake pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill 2026.
The meeting will take place in Committee Room 1 of Leinster House between 15:00-17:30. 
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Matt Carthy said: “We welcome the opportunity to engage with Department officials on this Bill. 
In February 2025, the Judicial Council proposed revised Personal Injuries Guidelines injuries applying an across-the-board increase of 16.7% in compensation amounts. In September 2025 the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan laid the draft Personal Injury Guidelines before the Oireachtas but did not bring a resolution before the Houses seeking their approval at that time.
The Bill is a technical measure with three core objectives: to reform the process for adopting Personal Injuries Guidelines, to amend the adoption of Sentencing Guidelines in line with the Supreme Court’s Delaney judgment, and to give effect to a Programme for Government commitment allowing the Minister to request the preparation of sentencing guidelines in specific areas.
The General Scheme proposes changes to make the adoption of Personal Injuries Guidelines more transparent and comprehensive, including providing for deemed adoption once both Houses of the Oireachtas have approved the guidelines by positive resolution. It also introduces a mechanism for the Judicial Council to reconsider guidelines if approval is not granted.
Officials will outline proposals to extend the review period for Personal Injuries Guidelines from three to five years, calculated from the date on which new guidelines are adopted. The Bill also seeks to strengthen the research and consultation framework underpinning the guidelines, including mandatory consultation with the Injuries Resolution Board and other stakeholders, and the publication of relevant research on damages in Ireland and comparable jurisdictions.
The General Scheme also contains a technical amendment to classify future secretaries of the Judicial Council as civil servants rather than public servants, addressing practical and administrative issues that have arisen under the current arrangements.” 
Watch the meeting live here or on the Oireachtas smartphone app for Apple and Android.