The Report of the Judicial Conduct Committee estimates that in excess of 90 per cent of complaints came from litigants who represented themselves in court proceedings.

The Government approved proposals to give judges the discretion to recommend minimum jail terms for those sentenced to life imprisonment.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the draft laws will aim to reform court sentences so that they ‘reflect the gravity of the most heinous’ crimes.

Attorney General Rossa Fanning said recent controversies across the water serve as reminders of the “vital importance” of judicial independence