Minister for Justice (Ireland)

Minister for Justice
Incumbent
Helen McEntee
since 1 June 2023
Department of Justice
Member of
Reports toTaoiseach
SeatDublin, Ireland
AppointerPresident of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach
Inaugural holderMichael Collins as Minister for Home Affairs
Formation22 January 1919
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

The Minister for Justice (Irish: An tAire Dlí agus Cirt) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Justice. The Minister for Justice has overall responsibility for law and order in Ireland.[1]

The current Minister for Justice is Helen McEntee, TD. McEntee is assisted by a Minister of State, James Browne, TD, who is the Minister of State for Law Reform and Youth Justice[2][3]

History

From 1919 until 1924 the position was known as the Minister for Home Affairs.[4][5] In 1997, the functions of the Minister for Equality and Law Reform were transferred to this Minister, and it was renamed as the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, a title which it retained until 2010.[6] The minister held the title of Minister for Justice and Equality from 2011 to 2020.[7] As of 2020, the position is known as Minister for Justice.[8] This followed a transfer of functions to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Overview

The Minister's main areas of responsibility include:[9]

  • Implementing government policy and proposing new policy on crime, immigration, asylum, criminal and civil law reform and the criminal justice system in general.
  • Implementation of government policy and proposing new policy in relation to national security (an area many countries assign to a separate 'Home' or 'Homeland Security' minister)
  • Control and reform of the Garda Síochána
  • Pardons (which are formally given by the President on the binding "advice" of the government, after proposal by the Minister for Justice - a rarely used power)
  • Implementation of core elements of the Good Friday Agreement.

List of office-holders

  Denotes acting Minister

Minister for Home Affairs 1919–1924

Name Term of office Party Government(s)[a]
Michael Collins 22 January 1919 1 April 1919 Sinn Féin 1st DM
Arthur Griffith 2 April 1919 22 August 1921 Sinn Féin 2nd DM
Austin Stack[b] 22 August 1921 9 January 1922 Sinn Féin 3rd DM
Eamonn Duggan 10 January 1922 9 September 1922 Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) 4th DM • 1st PG
Kevin O'Higgins 30 August 1922 2 June 1924 Cumann na nGaedheal 2nd PG • 5th DM • 1st EC • 2nd EC

Minister for Justice 1924–1997

Name Term of office Party Government(s)
Kevin O'Higgins 2 June 1924 10 July 1927 Cumann na nGaedheal 2nd EC • 3rd EC
W. T. Cosgrave[c] 10 July 1927 12 October 1927 Cumann na nGaedheal 3rd EC
James FitzGerald-Kenney 12 October 1927 9 March 1932 Cumann na nGaedheal 4th EC • 5th EC
James Geoghegan 9 March 1932 8 February 1933 Fianna Fáil 6th EC
P. J. Ruttledge 8 February 1933 8 September 1939 Fianna Fáil 7th EC • 8th EC • 1st • 2nd
Gerald Boland
(1st time) 		8 September 1939 18 February 1948 Fianna Fáil 2nd • 3rd • 4th
Seán Mac Eoin 18 February 1948 7 March 1951 Fine Gael 5th
Daniel Morrissey 7 March 1951 13 June 1951 Fine Gael 5th
Gerald Boland
(2nd time) 		13 June 1951 2 June 1954 Fianna Fáil 6th
James Everett 2 June 1954 20 March 1957 Labour 7th
Oscar Traynor 20 March 1957 11 October 1961 Fianna Fáil 8th • 9th
Charles Haughey 11 October 1961 8 October 1964 Fianna Fáil 10th
Seán Lemass (acting) 8 October 1964 3 November 1964 Fianna Fáil 10th
Brian Lenihan Snr 3 November 1964 26 March 1968 Fianna Fáil 10th • 11th • 12th
Mícheál Ó Móráin 27 March 1968 5 May 1970 Fianna Fáil 12th • 13th
Desmond O'Malley 5 May 1970 14 March 1973 Fianna Fáil 13th
Patrick Cooney 14 March 1973 5 July 1977 Fine Gael 14th
Gerry Collins
(1st time) 		5 July 1977 30 June 1981 Fianna Fáil 15th • 16th
Jim Mitchell 30 June 1981 9 March 1982 Fine Gael 17th
Seán Doherty 9 March 1982 14 December 1982 Fianna Fáil 18th
Michael Noonan 14 December 1982 14 February 1986 Fine Gael 19th
Alan Dukes 14 February 1986 10 March 1987 Fine Gael 19th
Gerry Collins
(2nd time) 		10 March 1987 12 July 1989 Fianna Fáil 20th
Ray Burke[d] 12 July 1989 11 February 1992 Fianna Fáil 21st
Pádraig Flynn 11 February 1992 4 January 1993 Fianna Fáil 22nd
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn 4 January 1993 15 December 1994 Fianna Fáil 23rd
Nora Owen 15 December 1994 26 June 1997 Fine Gael 24th
John O'Donoghue 26 June 1997 8 July 1997 Fianna Fáil 25th

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform 1997–2010

Name Term of office Party Government(s)
John O'Donoghue 8 July 1997 6 June 2002 Fianna Fáil 25th
Michael McDowell 6 June 2002 14 June 2007 Progressive Democrats 26th
Brian Lenihan Jnr 14 June 2007 7 May 2008 Fianna Fáil 27th
Dermot Ahern 7 May 2008 23 March 2010 Fianna Fáil 28th

Minister for Justice and Law Reform 2010–2011

Name Term of office Party Government(s)
Dermot Ahern 23 March 2010 19 January 2011 Fianna Fáil 28th
Brendan Smith[e] 20 January 2011 9 March 2011 Fianna Fáil 28th
Alan Shatter[f] 9 March 2011 2 April 2011 Fine Gael 29th

Minister for Justice and Equality 2011–2020

Name Term of office Party Government(s)
Alan Shatter[f] 2 April 2011 7 May 2014 Fine Gael 29th
Frances Fitzgerald 8 May 2014 14 June 2017 Fine Gael 29th • 30th
Charles Flanagan 14 June 2017 27 June 2020 Fine Gael 31st
Helen McEntee 27 June 2020 1 November 2020 Fine Gael 32nd

Minister for Justice 2020–present

Name Term of office Party Government(s)
Helen McEntee 1 November 2020 27 April 2021 Fine Gael 32nd
Heather Humphreys[g] 27 April 2021 1 November 2021 Fine Gael
Helen McEntee[h] 1 November 2021 25 November 2022 Fine Gael
Heather Humphreys[g] 25 November 2022 17 December 2022 Fine Gael
Simon Harris[i] 17 December 2022 1 June 2023 Fine Gael 33rd
Helen McEntee 1 June 2023 Incumbent Fine Gael 33rd • 34th
Notes
  1. ^ Before 1937: DM – Dáil Ministry; PG – Provisional Government; EC – Executive Council.
  2. ^ Austin Stack held the title of Secretary of State for Home Affairs.
  3. ^ Also President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State.
  4. ^ Also Minister for Communications from 31 March 1987 to 6 February 1991.
  5. ^ Also Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
  6. ^ a b Also Minister for Defence.
  7. ^ a b Also Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development.
  8. ^ On maternity leave from 27 April 2021 to 1 November 2021, and again from 25 November 2022 to 1 June 2023. [10][11]
  9. ^ Also Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

References

  1. ^ "Minister for Justice". Government of Ireland. 19 November 2020. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  2. ^ "List of Ministers and Ministers of State", Government of Ireland, archived from the original on 7 August 2020, retrieved 24 July 2020
  3. ^ "About Us". Department of Justice. Archived from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  4. ^ "An early history of the Department". Department of Justice. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, Schedule, Tenth Part: Ministers named in former Acts". Irish Statute Book. 21 April 1924. Archived from the original on 8 February 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  6. ^ Justice (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1997 (S.I. No. 298 of 1997). Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 9 November 2018.
  7. ^ Justice and Law Reform (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 138 of 2011). Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 9 November 2018.
  8. ^ Justice and Equality (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 452 of 2020). Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Our Responsibilities - The Department of Justice". Department of Justice. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Ministerial Responsibilities – Dáil Éireann (33rd Dáil)". Oireachtas. 28 April 2021. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Statement by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee". Department of Justice. 11 March 2021. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.

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