A Supreme Court in Pennsylvania, US, has temporarily suspended Irish-born Justice Seamus P McCaffrey in relation to an email pornography scandal.

The main issue cited by the court in its decision was that Justice McCaffery exchanged "hundreds" of pornographic emails with lawyers in the Pennsylvania attorney general's office during the years that Tom Corbett, now the governor, was attorney general.

Justice McCaffrey is also facing allegations of misconduct over claims that he authorised the payment of cash to his wife from personal injury law firms for referring them potential clients.

Four justices voted in favour of the suspension, one dissented, and two others, including Justice McCaffery, disqualified themselves from consideration of the case due to prejudice.

"No other justice has failed to live up to the high ethical demands required of a justice of this court or has been the constant focus of ethical lapses to the degree of Justice McCaffery," Chief Justice Ronald Castille wrote in a scornful concurring opinion.

He suggested that Justice McCaffery's attempts to blame others for his behaviour bordered on "sociopathic".

The suspension, with pay, will last until the state Judicial Conduct Board decides whether to bring formal charges against the judge under an expedited review process expected to take 30 days.

Justice McCaffrey was elected as a Democrat to the Supreme Court in 2007.

Possible further disciplinary action could include removal from the bench as well as the loss of his licence to practice law.

Justice McCaffery denies any wrongdoing in both cases.