UPDATE: Government confirm appointment of new Longford District Court Judge
The Government has this evening confirmed the appointment of Judge Bernadette Owens as the new district court judge for counties Longford and Westmeath.
Department of Justice said Judge Owens had been officially appointed to the role after government leaders met yesterday to consider a successor to the late district court judge Seamus Hughes who passed away in July.
"At its meeting yesterday, the Government agreed to permanently assign a serving Judge of the District Court, Judge Bernadette Owens, to the District 9 (Co. Westmeath/Longford) with immediate effect," said a Depertment of Justice spokesperson.
"The vacancy arose in District 9 (Co. Westmeath/Longford) following the passing of Judge Seamus Hughes on 12 July 2022."
It comes after the Leader exclusively broke details of the news earlier today.
Until now, Judge Owens had served as a moveable judge, often taking in court sittings at various locations across the country.
During her time on the bench in District Court Area 9, Judge Owens has become known for her direct and meticulous approach.
For more on this story, see next week's Longford Leader.