The latest list of barristers approved for admission to the inner bar features 20 men and three women.
Up until now, an advisory committee consisting of the Chief Justice, the President of the High Court, the Attorney General and the chairperson of the Bar Council has made recommendations to the Government concerning the grant of patents of precedence.
However, in the future such recommendations will be handled by a new advisory committee to be established by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015.
This committee will include the president of the Law Society and a lay member of the authority. Both barristers and solicitors will be able to apply.
The new list of barristers entitled to admission to the inner bar includes: Frank Beatty, Conor Bowman, Paul Carroll, Alan Cormack, Orla Crowe, Rossa Fanning, Niall Fitzgibbon, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Timothy Harley, Vincent Heneghan, Richard Murray Johnson, Clíona Kimber, Róisín Lacey, Ciarán Lewis, Paul McCarthy, Michael McGrath, Ronan Munro, Mark Nicholas, Barry O'Donnell, Mark O'Mahony, Cormac Quinn, Neil Steen and Ciarán Toland.
