LATEST: Judges question Government's judicial review plans
The body representing judges has questioned the Government's plans to overhaul how judges are chosen.
The Association of Judges of Ireland statement comes just days before a new bill to overhaul the system makes its debut in the Dáil.
The bill would create a new Judicial Appointments Board where a majority of members would come from outside the legal profession.
The body says it does not oppose changes to the system but says that no other walk of life would have to accept an appointments process which is dominated by outsiders.
The Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan appears to be on a collision course with the Transport Minister Shane Ross over judicial reform.
Mr Ross has previously said the current system of appointing judges is rotten.
However writing in today's Irish Times, Charlie Flanagan hit out at those seeking to place the "judiciary in the dock".
Political correspondent with the Irish Examiner Daniel McConnell says the issue has the potential to increase tensions within Government.
He said: "What you now have is a hardline minister, which Charlie Flanagan is, and if he's not willing to play ball on this, he can make it very tricky, and certainly make the next couple of weeks very interesting.
"The relations between the Indepepndent Alliance and Fine Gael have been slightly better in recent months and weeks.
"However, I wouldn't think it would take much for them to plummet again to the depths of acrimony that we saw a lot last year and earlier this year."
