Supreme Court judge Seamus Woulfe has been asked to resign and has refused.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin is considering the Government’s next move over what to do with Golf-gate judge Séamus Woulfe as a constitutional stand-off looks ominous.
Mr Martin has asked the Attorney General, Paul Gallagher, for overnight advice on Mr Woulfe after his shock refusal to resign when asked by his fellow judges and the Chief Justice, Frank Clarke.
A spokeswoman for the Taoiseach told the Irish Mirror: “The Attorney General has been asked to advise the Taoiseach and Government on the matter.
“It would be inappropriate to make any further comment at this stage.”
Government members are in a spin after it came out that Chief Justice, Frank Clarke, had moved and was calling for Mr Woulfe’s head and that the Golfgate judge was resisting.
Meanwhile, the Judiciary is in full blown crisis after it emerged that Mr Woulfe is refusing to resign as a judge after being asked by his boss.
Instead, he has offered to give up a month’s salary, which has been rejected by the Chief Justice.
Justice Clarke has responded by letting Mr Woulfe know he won’t be allowing him sit as a judge until at least February.
And he has called on Mr Woulfe to forego his salary for this period when he won’t be doing his main job.
Mr Woulfe is the most recently appointed judge of the Supreme Court having served in the last Government term as Attorney General.
But his reputation was tarnished after it was revealed he was one of the 81 attendees at the infamous Oireachtas golf society dinner in Clifden in August.
His fellow judges are not happy with his response and Mr Clarke wrote to him last Thursday in letters which have now been published.
Mr Clarke wrote: “It is my view, and the unanimous view of all of the members of the Court (including the ex-officio members), that the cumulative effect of all of these matters has been to cause a very significant and irreparable damage both to the Court and to the relationship within the Court which is essential to the proper functioning of a collegiate court.
“It is not part of my role to ask, let alone tell, you to resign.
“Resignation is and can only be for the judge him or herself.
“Regrettably, however, I believe that I should make clear my personal opinion that, to avoid continuing serious damage to the judiciary, you should resign.”
Mr Woulfe issued a very lengthy response dated November 9th where he defended his position over and over.
But it can be best summed up in this line: “I have come to the conclusion that I should not resign.”
Labour leader, Alan Kelly, has called on the Taoiseach to act on the Chief Justice’s call..
And he said that if the Taoiseach doesn’t act, the Dáil should.
"This is an unprecedented situation for our judiciary.
"A newly appointed Justice of the Supreme Court has lost the support of the entirety of his colleagues.
“The Chief Justice has said it was the view of all the other members that the controversy had caused significant and irreparable damage to the court.
"This has undermined the cohesion of our most senior court, and in those circumstances the Taoiseach must now make a clear statement if he will act on the views of the Chief Justice.
"If this controversy and the impasse that has resulted continues then the legislature will have to act."
