Chief Justice:

Mr Justice Hugh O'Flaherty

From Cahirciveen, he was born in 1938 and educated in St Brendan's College, Killarney, UCD and the King's Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1959, and became a senior counsel in 1976. He represented the McGimpsey brothers in their challenge to the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1989.

He was appointed directly from the Bar to the Supreme Court in 1990, aged 52, where his judgments included the opinion that abortion was justified when the mother's life was in danger, even if that was not imminent (the X case) and that "nature should be allowed to take its course" in allowing a ward of court to die, rather than be kept alive through medical intervention. He has been a strong advocate of freedom of the press and reform of the libel laws. He was strongly associated with Fianna Fail.

Mr Justice John Murray

Born in 1944, he was educated in the Crescent College, Limerick, and Rockwell College, Tipperary, UCD and the King's Inns. His late father-in-law, Mr Justice Brian Walsh, was one of the most respected and best-loved members of the Supreme Court, who made a number of ground-breaking judgments.

He was attorney general in the Fianna Fail minority government in 1982, and resumed that position from 1987 to 1991, when he was appointed as a judge of the European Court, which arbitrates in disputes about EU law. He would bring an extensive knowledge of European law to the Supreme Court, which is soon to lose the European experience of Mr Justice Donal Barrington.

Mr Justice Ronan Keane

Born in 1932, he was educated in Blackrock College, UCD and the King's Inns. He has been a judge since 1979, when he was appointed to the High Court. He was head of the Stardust inquiry in 1981, and was also president of the Law Reform Commission at a time when it recommended a number of far-reaching changes in the law. Under his supervision the commission recommended the removal of the crime of blasphemy and the use of alternatives to prison.

He was appointed to the Supreme Court by a Fine Gael-led government in 1996. He has been critical of successive governments' failures to legislate in a number of controversial areas, notably on abortion and the rights of adopted persons to know their parentage.

Supreme Court:

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy

MS Justice Laffoy was educated at an Irish-speaking college, Colaiste Mhuire, in Tourmakeady, Co Mayo; UCD and the King's Inns. She was called to the Bar in 1971 and became a senior counsel in 1987. At the time she was one of only three women members of the Inner Bar, the other two being Ms Susan Denham and Mrs Mary Robinson.

At her appointment to the High Court in 1995 she became the second woman on the High Court, along with Miss Mella Carroll. The third woman to be so elevated, Ms Justice Susan Denham, had been promoted to the Supreme Court.

Although her practice had been in conveyancing, land law and property, she is regarded as having "trained on" to deal with a much wider brief. "She does difficult cases politely and well," according to one senior counsel.

Ms Justice Catherine McGuinness

A Northern Protestant born in 1934, she was educated in Alexandra College, Dublin, TCD and the King's Inns. She has played a major part in public life since the early 1960s, when she was a prominent member of the Labour Party along with her husband, Mr Proinsias Mac Aonghusa. She was elected to the Seanad for the University of Dublin constituency three times.

After serving on a number of State boards she became a barrister in 1977 and quickly built up a reputation as a family lawyer, an area she has also specialised in on both the Circuit Court and High Court. She was appointed to the latter in 1996. She was chairwoman of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. On the High Court she is known for the open and unintimidating atmosphere she encourages, as well as for her thoughtful judgments.

Mr Justice Brian McCracken

A native of Cork, he was called to the Bar in 1957 and became a senior counsel in 1975. He operated a large practice, specialising in chancery and commercial law. He represented the former Tanaiste, Mr Spring, at the beef tribunal. He was appointed to the High Court by the rainbow coalition government in 1995, and within two years was asked to head the payments-to-politicians tribunal.

He impressed journalists and all who saw him at work by his conduct of this tribunal, where it was clear that, along with his legal team, he had unearthed a vast amount of well-hidden evidence. Indeed, he was credited by the general secretary of the Law Society, Mr Ken Murphy, with restoring the image of the legal profession.

Mr Justice Michael Moriarty

Born in Belfast in 1946, he was educated in Blackrock College, UCD and King's Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1968, and became a Circuit Court judge in 1987, where he put in nine gruelling years dealing with crime in the Dublin Circuit Court. Both in court and out of it he was known for his concern for the marginalised in society.

He was appointed to the High Court by the rainbow coalition, but was asked to chair the second payments-to-politicians tribunal by the Government. ail-PD Coalition. He envisaged the job taking six to eight months, but it is now well into its second year with no end in sight. His conduct of the inquiry - firm, focused and courteous - has won him respect beyond that in which he was already held in legal circles.

Mr Justice Paul Carney

Born in 1943, he was educated in Gonzaga and the King's Inns. He was a member of the English as well as the Irish Bar. He had a mixed practice, which included a number of high-profile criminal cases. He also defended the National Union of Mineworkers when its funds, held in Ireland, were sequestered by the British government.

He has been a High Court judge since 1991, where he has not been afraid to travel into uncharted territory. For example, he had the statement of a man who pleaded guilty to the murder of a five-year-old boy read out, despite the guilty plea, so that people would know the circumstances, and appeared to regret not being able to impose a life sentence on a man who raped and abused his adopted daughter. He imposed a 17-year sentence instead. He is regarded as procedurally innovative and very fair.