The Government has nominated Mr Justice Gerard Hogan as an Advocate General to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the Government nominated Mr Justice Hogan for the appointment.

Before the appointment can be made, he will be assessed by a panel set up by the European Union to confirm his suitability for the post.

Ireland is eligible to nominate a candidate to serve as an Advocate General to the court for the period from October 2018 to October 2024.

The nomination was made following a process by an expert panel, which assisted in identifying interested persons.

The Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice is responsible for ensuring EU law is interpreted and applied the same in every EU country.

The court is made up of 28 judges and 11 advocates general.

A courtroom in the EU Court of Justice | Image: Court of Justice of the European Union

These are appointed by common accord of the governments of the member states for a renewable six-year term.

The advocates general are responsible for presenting an 'opinion' in cases assigned to them by the court.

These opinions offered must be completely impartial and independent.

Mr Justice Gerard Hogan was educated at University College Dublin (UCD), the University of Pennsylvania and the Honorable Society of King's Inns.

He was also awarded a PhD from Trinity College Dublin.

He was called to the Bar in 1984 and was appointed to the High Court in October 2010.

He was a lecturer in law at Trinity College Dublin between 1982 and 2007 - and was then appointed as a judge to the Court of Appeal in October 2014.

He is also the author of several legal publications and textbooks - covering administrative law, constitutional law, competition law, civil and criminal procedure, and EU and human rights law.