Supreme Court of Kirlawa

The Supreme Court of Kirlawa (in Kilani: Cúirt Uachtarach) is the highest federal court of Kirlawa. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all regional courts and over state court cases involving issues of federal law, plus original jurisdiction over a small range of cases. In the legal system of Kirlawa, the Supreme Court is the final interpreter of federal constitutional law, although it may only act within the context of a case in which it has jurisdiction.

The Court consists of the Príomh-Bhreitheamh (Chief Justice) of Kirlawa, that represents the judicial power of the nation, and six Breithiúna Sinsearacha (Senior Judges) who are nominated by the Minister of Justice, the regional governors and the Leader of the Opposition, and confirmed by the Taoiseach. Once appointed, justices serve for a 20-year period unless they resign, retire, or are removed after impeachment (though no justice has ever been removed). In modern discourse, the justices are often categorized as having conservative, moderate, or liberal/progressist philosophies of law and of judicial interpretation. Each justice has one vote, and while many cases are decided unanimously, the highest profile cases often expose ideological beliefs that track with those philosophical or political categories. The Cúirt meets in the Kirlawan Supreme Court Building in Salubris, Uwakah.

History
The Supreme Court was created in 4705 with the approval of the Law on the Kirlawan Supreme Court by Taoiseach Maia McEvoy and Minister of Justice Bonnie O'Leary, soon after their party Joint Proposal came to power after a vacuum of power in the nation, as part of their electoral program in order to separate the judicial and executive powers in Kirlawa.

Size
The number of Magistrates of the Supreme Court is fixed at seven.

Appointment and confirmation
Magistrates are appointed for a non-renewable 20-years period. The Chief Justice is to be appointed directly by the Minister of Justice at the time. Five of the other seats are to be fulfilled by the candidates elected by the Governors of the Kirlawan provinces at the time, and the last seat is to be elected by the Leader of the Opposition at the time. Any member of the Supreme Court can be removed by a majority of 2/3 of the votes in the Senate, and shall receive the approval of the Chief Justice. If the one to be removed is the Chief Justice, the affirmative vote of at least 2 Senior Judges is required. Also, if no member is appointed by the legal forms in a period of 5 years after the vacancy of the previous judge, the Ministry of Justice shall be responsible of the new appointment.

In modern times, the confirmation process has attracted considerable attention from the press and advocacy groups. The Senate Judiciary Committee conducts hearings and votes with a positive, negative or neutral report, although it doesn't have any veto power.

Current Justices
Names in cursive correspond to appointments made by the Minister of Justice or the Head of the Council, if the political body designed to appoint the judge in the required period did not appoint any.

Retired Justices
They may be designated for temporary assignments to sit on lower regional courts. Such assignments are formally made by the Supreme Judge, on request of the Magistrate of the lower court and with the consent of the retired Justice.

At the moment there is no alive retired justices.

General elections near the times where one or more Magistrate are about to retire gain great significance for political parties, since they will be able to place a like-minded judge in the Court for the 20-year period.

Time table

 * Number of women: 5
 * Number of men: 2