The Court would play various roles, according to the Irish Independent. It would reduce the pressure on the Supreme Court which is currently warning appellants that they will have to wait four years before getting a hearing. The new Court would also take on the caseload of the existing Court of Criminal Appeal which now has a waiting list taking it up to October 2014.

At the moment, non-criminal cases go directly from the High Court in Ireland to the Supreme Court - but, under the proposal, they will nearly go via the new Court of Appeal. Justice Minister Alan Shatter says that the new court could also deal with appeals over sentences which are seen as being too lenient - an issue now being hotly debated in the Irish Republic. Mr Shatter said: 'If the Director of Public Prosecutions believes that a sentence is too lenient, this measure will ensure the issue of leniency will be addressed with speed.'