Full coverage: Justice Richard Humphreys

In a High Court judgement, Justice Richard Humphreys found that low-level noise should not be “the sort of impact that public policy should accept as precluding the grant of permission” in a wind farm case.

The case met the constitutional criteria to go straight to the Supreme Court as the question of what obligations climate law imposes on the board affects its daily decision-making functions.

The case was taken by fishers against the second foreshore licence granted to Codling Wind Park by the minister for housing. The settlement confirms a tentative hope among wind farm developers that legal momentum may be shifting in their favour.

The intention to appeal was expected given the far-reaching nature of the judgment. Planning experts are now considering the implications of the dispute for industries far beyond wind.

Developer Statkraft argues that climate laws oblige An Bord Pleanála to grant it permission for 13 wind turbines in Co Laois. The State warned that the court's decision has much broader implications for the wider planning system.

The Planning and Environment Court is now a year old. Mr Justice Richard Humphreys reflects on the early days of a crucial institution in Ireland's ambition to develop more infrastructure, housing and energy projects.

Justice Richard Humphreys is alleged to have made baseless, damaging remarks about a senior counsel and a solicitor. The judge has previously been criticised by the Supreme Court for making humiliating and insulting comments about barristers that appeared before him.