The Minister for Justice is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Justice. The Minister for Justice has overall responsibility for law and order in Ireland. The current Minister for Justice is Helen McEntee, TD. McEntee is assisted by a Minister of State, James Browne, TD, who is the Minister of State for Law Reform and Youth Justice

History

From 1919 until 1924 the position was known as the Minister for Home Affairs. In 1997, the functions of the Minister for Equality and Law Reform were transferred to this Minister, and it was renamed as the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, a title which it retained until 2010. The minister held the title of Minister for Justice and Equality from 2011 to 2020. As of 2020, the position is known as Minister for Justice. This followed a transfer of functions to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Overview

The Minister's main areas of responsibility include:

List of office-holders

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Minister for Home Affairs 1919–1924

!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)

Minister for Justice 1924–1997

!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s) (1st time) (2nd time) (1st time) (2nd time)

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform 1997–2010

!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)

Minister for Justice and Law Reform 2010–2011

!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)

Minister for Justice and Equality 2011–2020

!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)

Minister for Justice 2020–present

!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)