Government appoints second Taxing Master

Tuesday 24th January 2012

The Government, at its meeting today, has appointed Ms Rowena Mulcahy to the post of Taxing Master following an open competition conducted by the Public Appointments Service. 

The vacancy arises following the retirement of one of the two Taxing Masters, Mr. James Flynn, on 21 December 2011. Under section 3 of the Court Officers Act 1926, the appointment of a Taxing Master is made by the Government.  The legislation also provides that there shall be two such posts.  An open competition was held by the Public Appointments Service which advertised the post last September and subsequently provided a list of three candidates for the Government’s consideration.  Ms. Rowena Mulcahy is the second Taxing Master to be appointed following this competition. Mr. Declan O’Neill was appointed by the Government on 13 December last.

This appointment is on an interim basis pending the establishment of the Office of Legal Costs Adjudicator provided for in the recently published Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011. 

ENDS

Government Press Office

press.office@taoiseach.gov.ie

Ph: 01 6194098

Note for Editors

The Public Appointments Service is the independent body charged with fair and impartial recruitment, assessment and selection services for the Civil service, local authorities, Health Service Executive, An Garda Siochána and other public bodies.

Qualification Required for Appointment

The statutory qualification requirements for a Taxing Master are set out in the Eighth Schedule to the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act 1961 as amended by the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011, which provides that:

 "no person shall be appointed to be a Taxing Master unless at the time of his or her appointment that person-

(a)   has practised as a solicitor for a period of not less than 10 years,

(b)   has practised as a barrister for a period of not less than 10 years, or

(c)   has practised as a legal costs accountant for a period of not less than 10 years."

Biographical details – Ms. Rowena Mulcahy

Ms Mulcahy is a partner in Mulcahy Robinson Solicitors with over 25 years experience in practice acting in a very broad range of civil law matters. Ms Mulcahy is a highly experienced arbitrator, serving as Deputy Chair of the Board of Management of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London, during 2010/2011 and is former chair of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators – Irish Branch (2004/2005). She is a member of the Panel of the Arbitrators of the Law Society of Ireland. She is a member of the Commission on Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Paris and Rapporteur for Ireland on the ICC Task Force on the National Rules of Procedure for the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards under the UN Convention, 1958.  She is also a member of the Irish Commercial Mediation Association and has advised individuals and companies in the public and semi – state sector on arbitration and ADR related matters.