Mr Haugh, a barrister, served in the role for 10 years and had expected to have his five-year contract renewed. As there was already an existing separate vacant position of deputy chair – the Labour Court has three – he applied for that role and has since come through a process that included two rounds of interviews. The Department of Enterprise said Mr Haugh had “served with distinction” as a deputy chair of the Labour Court. The Labour Court is the sole appellate body in employment rights disputes, ruling on appeals of Workplace Relations Commission adjudication decisions. The Labour Court is also the ‘court of last resort’ in industrial relations disputes.
