The arrival of the former Labour Party leader and later, Fine Gael member, Mr Michael O'Leary, on the District Court circuit in the midlands has been welcomed by the legal profession.
One hopes that his tenure will not result in any run-ins with the local solicitors, as has happened in Cork over the last couple of weeks.
The District Courts in the midlands are very busy places as the judges have to deal with an increasing number of cases.
The list in Tullamore, for instance, has increased to the point that there is a proposal to have a court there weekly rather than on a fortnightly basis.
At the risk of being held in contempt, it seems fair comment to say that the administration of justice varies from region to region depending mainly on the judge, who has almost absolute discretion.
The local newspapers, which are recognised in the midlands as part of the administration of justice, faithfully record most of the cases dealt with by the judges.
Falling foul of the law in the area will deliver the kind of publicity and public attention which defendants normally escape in larger areas of population.
The cases, and their treatment, make for very interesting reading.
For instance, recently in Portarlington District Court, a student was before the judge on a number of offences under the Public Order Act.
The court was told he had been drunk, and although a garda had walked him to his own door, the student refused to go in.
The young man's mother went down to the Garda station and brought him home by the "scruff of the neck" and the following day, he returned to the station with his parents to apologise.
The judge ordered the arts student to undergo an alcohol awareness programme before the case comes up again in June and ordered him to write an essay for her entitled "Ruining my Own Life".
At Athlone District Court in recent weeks, a young Dubliner who broke a number of windows in the town was ordered by the judge not to come to Athlone for three years. If he does, he will be imprisoned.
Finally, three young men who stole newspapers from outside a shop and scattered them around Tyrellspass, where damage was also caused to trees and signs, found themselves in front of Kilbeggan District Court.
Two of the men were ordered to pay £2,000 each and a third was ordered to pay £700.
The judge ordered that the money be equally divided between the Tyrellspass Tidy Towns and the Gneevebaun Residents' Association. The charges were struck out.