The Supreme Court

Mr Justice James Geoghegan was educated at the Law Society of Ireland, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He qualified as a solicitor in 1907. He was called to the Bar of Ireland in 1915, the Bar of England and Wales in 1923 and took silk in 1925. Mr Justice Geoghegan was elected to the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th Dáil as a TD for Fianna Fáil for the Longford-Westmeath constituency between 1930-1936. He served as Minister for Justice between 1932-1933 in the 7^th Dáil. He served as Attorney General of Ireland from November-December 1936. Mr Justice Geoghegan was appointed directly to the Supreme Court in December 1936, and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He served until his retirement in 1950.

Mr Justice Conor Maguire was educated at University College Dublin. He initially qualified as a solicitor in 1914, practising in Claremorris (Mayo). Mr Justice Maguire was called to the Bar in 1922 . Mr Justice Maguire was a judge of the Dáil Courts and of the Land Commission between 1920-1922. In 1932, he took silk and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Mr Justice Maguire was elected to the 7^th Dáil in the 1932 and 1933 elections for Fianna Fáil, representing the National University of Ireland constituency. In 1932, he served as Attorney General of Ireland. In 1936, Mr Justice Maguire was appointed to the High Court and became the 2^nd President of the High Court. In 1946, Mr Justice Maguire was appointed to the Supreme Court and became the 3^rd Chief Justice of Ireland. Following his retirement from the Supreme Court in 1961, he was appointed as a member of the European Commission on Human Rights in 1962 and as a judge of the European Court of Human Rights in 1965.

Mr Justice James Creed Meredith was educated at Trinity College Dublin and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1901 and became a King’s Counsel in 1918. Before the formation of the Irish Free State , Mr Justice Meredith served as President of the Dáil Supreme Court between August 1920-July 1922. He was subsequently a member of the Dáil Éireann Courts (Winding-Up) Commission between 1923-1925 and the Judiciary Committee in 1923, which advised the Executive Council of the Irish Free State on the establishment of the new system for the administration of justice and exercise of judicial power; the recommendations of this report formed the substance of the Courts of Justice Act 1924. In 1924, Mr Justice Meredith was appointed to the High Court of the Irish Free State and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. In 1934, Mr Justice Meredith was appointed Vice-President of the Saar Supreme Plebiscite Tribunal by the Council of the League of Nations. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1936, upon its expansion from three to five judges. He served until his death in 1942.

Mr Justice Johnston was educated the Royal University (now Queen’s University Belfast), the Honorable Society of King’s Inns, and the Honorable Society of Gray’s Inn. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1892 and became a King’s Counsel in 1911. Mr Justice Johnston edited the Irish Law Times and Solicitor’s Journal between 1906-1911. In 1911, Mr Justice Johnston was appointed as a judge of the County Court for Monaghan and Fermanagh, and later for Monaghan and Louth. In 1923, he served as a member of the Judiciary Committee. Mr Justice Johnston was appointed to the High Court of the Irish Free State  in 1924 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1939, where he served until 1940.

Mr Justice John O’Byrne was educated at University College Dublin, the Royal University of Ireland,  and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1911 and became a King’s Counsel in 1924, notably the last person in the Irish Free State  to be called to the Inner Bar as a King’s Counsel rather than Senior Counsel. Mr Justice O’Byrne advised the Irish delegation during negotiations leading up to the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921. He was a member of the Committee which drafted the Constitution of the Irish Free State in 1922 and the Judiciary Committee in 1923, which advised the Executive Council of the Irish Free State  on the establishment of the new system for the administration of justice and exercise of judicial power; the recommendations of this report formed the substance of the Courts of Justice Act 1924. Mr Justice O’Byrne was among the members of the Irish delegation when the Irish Free State was admitted to the League of Nations at its Fourth Assembly. He served as Attorney General of the Irish Free State  in 1924 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1924. Mr Justice O’Byrne was appointed to the High Court in 1926 and to the Supreme Court in 1940, where he served until his death in 1954.

Mr Justice William Black was educated at Trinity College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1901 and took silk in 1935. Mr Justice Black was appointed as a temporary judge of the Circuit Court in 1933, where he served for two terms until 1936 and then returned to his practice. He was appointed to the High Court in 1939 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. At the time of his appointment, he was Chairman of the Town Tenants’ Occupation Tenancies Tribunal. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1942. Following his retirement as a judge in 1951, the Council of Europe elected Mr Justice Black as Ireland’s representative at the European Commission of Human Rights in 1954.

Mr Justice George Gavan Duffy was educated at the University of London. In 1907, he qualified as a solicitor in London. In 1917, Mr Justice Gavan Duffy was called to the Irish Bar and took silk in 1929. Mr Justice Gavan Duffy was elected to a parliamentary seat in 1918 for Sinn Féin for the Dublin County South constituency. In 1921, Mr Justice Gavan Duffy was a member of the team that was assembled to negotiate the Anglo-Irish Treaty. He served briefly as the Minister for External Affairs in 1922 and resigned from this position in July. He unsuccessfully stood for election as an independent candidate in the 1923 election. Mr Justice Gavan Duffy advised on the drafting of the Constitution of the Irish Free State 1922 and the Constitution of Ireland 1937. In 1936, Mr Justice Gavan Duffy was appointed to the High Court and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. In 1946, Mr Justice Gavan Duffy was appointed as the 3^rd President of the High Court, where he served until his death in 1951.

Mr Justice Cecil Lavery was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Mr Justice Lavery served as a member of the Irish Volunteers in 1913. He was called to the Bar in 1915 and took silk in 1927. Mr Justice Lavery was appointed as a judge of the Dáil Circuit Courts between 1921-1922. Mr Justice Lavery was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1933. Mr Justice Lavery was elected to the 8^th Dáil Éireann in the Dublin County constituency in 1935. He returned to the 9^th Dáil following the 1937 general election before losing his seat in 1938. Mr Justice Lavery was subsequently elected to the 6^th Seanad in 1948. He served as Attorney General of Ireland between 1948-1950. Mr Justice Lavery was appointed directly to the Supreme Court in 1950, where he served until his retirement in 1966. Mr Justice Lavery assisted in the drafting of the European Convention on Human Rights at the Council of Europe.

Mr Justice Cahir Davitt was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1916. Between 1920-1922, Mr Justice Davitt was appointed as a judge of the Dáil Circuit Court. He was appointed as Advocate General of the Defence Forces between 1922-1926. In 1923, Mr Justice Davitt was a member of the Judiciary Committee, which advised the Executive Council of the Irish Free State  on the establishment of the new system for the administration of justice and exercise of judicial power; the recommendations of this report formed the substance of the Courts of Justice Act 1924. He was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1927. Mr Justice Davitt was appointed as a temporary judge of the Circuit Court in 1926, as a judge of the Circuit Court in 1927, and as a judge of the High Court in 1945. During this time, he also chaired or was a member of several commissions and tribunals, including the 1929 Tribunal of Inquiry into the Tramway Strike and the Locke Inquiry in 1947. Mr Justice Davitt was appointed as the 4^th President of the High Court in 1951, where he served until his retirement in 1966.

Mr Justice Theodore Conyngham Kingsmill Moore was educated at Trinity College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1918 and took silk in 1935. Mr Justice Kingsmill Moore served in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. He was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1941. Mr Justice Kingsmill Moore was elected as an independent member of Seanad Éireann for the Dublin University constituency for the 4^th and  5^th Seanad between 1943-1947. Mr Justice Kingsmill Moore was appointed as a judge of the High Court in 1947 and to the Supreme Court in 1951, where he served until his retirement in 1966.

Mr Justice Cearbhail Ó Dálaigh was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1934, took silk in 1944, and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1946. He served as Attorney General of Ireland between 1946-1948 and again between 1951-1953.  Mr Justice Ó Dálaigh was appointed directly to the Supreme Court in 1953. At the age of 42, he is the youngest person at the time of appointment appointed to the Supreme Court of Ireland. Mr Justice Ó Dálaigh became the 4^th Chief Justice of Ireland in 1961 and held this position until his retirement in 1973. He was subsequently appointed as Ireland’s first judge of the European Court of Justice in 1973 and became President of the First Chamber in 1974. Following the death of Erskine Childers, President of Ireland, Mr Justice Ó Dálaigh was nominated as President of Ireland. Mr Justice Ó Dálaigh resigned from the Presidency in 1976 following conflict between him and the then Government. 

Mr Justice Martin Maguire was educated at Trinity College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1911 and took silk in 1925. Mr Justice Maguire was the chairman of the Mining Board between 1932-1940. He was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1937. Mr Justice Maguire was appointed to the High Court in 1940 and to the Supreme Court in 1954, where he served until his retirement in 1961.

Mr Justice Kevin Haugh was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. During his time at the Honorable Society of King’s Inns, he also worked as a teacher at Belvedere College. Mr Justice Haugh was called to the Bar in 1925, took silk in 1938, and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1940. Mr Justice Haugh served as Attorney General of Ireland between 1940-1942. Mr Justice Haugh was appointed to the High Court in 1942 and to the Supreme Court in 1961, where he served until his death in 1969. Mr Justice Haugh was a member of several boards and tribunals, including the Locke Tribunal in 1947 and acted as chairman of the Censorship Appeals Board and the Red Cross.

Mr Justice Brian Walsh was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1941 and took silk in 1954. He was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1959. Alongside his practice, Mr Justice Walsh lectured at St Patrick’s College (Maynooth), and University College Dublin. Mr Justice Walsh was appointed to the High Court in 1959 and to the Supreme Court in 1961, where he served until his retirement in 1990. During his tenure on the bench, Mr Justice Walsh acted as President of the International Association of Judges and the Fédération Internationale pour le Droit Européen. In 1973, Mr Justice Walsh led the Irish contingent of the British-Irish Law-Enforcement Commission established by the Sunningdale Agreement. Mr Justice Walsh served as President of the Law Reform Commission between 1975-1985. In 1980, he was appointed to the European Court of Human Rights, where he served until his death in 1998.

Mr Justice Frederick Gardner Budd was educated at Trinity College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1927, took silk in 1943, and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1951. In 1951, Mr Justice Budd was elected to the 7^th Seanad Éireann as an independent senator for the Dublin University constituency. He resigned after two months upon his appointment to the High Court. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1966, where he served until his retirement in 1975.

Mr Justice William FitzGerald was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1927, took silk in 1944, and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1950. Mr Justice Fitzgerald served as chair of the Bar Council between 1954-1957. Mr Justice FitzGerald was appointed directly to the Supreme Court in 1966 and in 1972 became the 5^th Chief Justice of Ireland. He served until his death in 1974.

Mr Justice Aindrias Ó Caoimh was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1935, took silk in 1951 and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1954. Mr Justice Ó Caoimh served as Attorney General of Ireland initially in 1954 and thereafter from 1957 to 1965. He was appointed directly to the Supreme Court in 1965 and was appointed as the 5^th President of the High Court in 1966, where he served until 1974. He was then appointed as a judge of the European Court of Justice, where he served until his retirement in 1985.

Mr Justice Richard McLoughlin was called to the Bar in 1923 and took silk in 1938. Mr Justice McLoughlin was appointed to the High Court in 1952 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Mr Justice McLoughlin was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1969, where he served until his death in 1972.

Mr Justice Séamus Henchy was educated at University College Galway, University College Dublin, the Honorable Society of King’s Inns, and obtained a doctorate in law on fosterage in early and medieval Ireland. Mr Justice Henchy was called to the Bar in 1939 and took silk in 1959. In 1948 he was appointed a Professor of Jurisprudence, Legal History and Roman Law at University College Dublin. Mr Justice Henchy was appointed as a judge of the High Court in 1962 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. During this time, he acted as the chair of the commission of inquiry convened by the International Commission of Jurists in 1965 to investigate and make recommendations regarding allegations of racism in the public service of British Guyana. In 1972, Mr Justice Henchy was appointed to the Supreme Court. In 1976, he acted as an observer for the International Commission of Jurists at the trial of Archbishop Donal Lamont in Rhodesia. Following his retirement from the Supreme Court in 1988, he became the first chair of the Independent Radio and Television Commission.

Mr Justice Frank Griffin was educated at University College Dublin and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1946 and took silk in 1964. Mr Justice Griffin was appointed to the High Court in 1971 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns.  Mr Justice Griffin was the first presiding head of the Special Criminal Court on its establishment in 1972. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1973. Following his retirement from the Supreme Court in 1991, Mr Justice Griffin acted as President of the Council of the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital.

Mr Justice Thomas Aloysius Finlay was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1944 and took silk in 1961. Mr Justice Finlay was elected as a TD for Fine Gael for the Dublin South-Central constituency between 1954-1957. He was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1972. Mr Justice Finlay was appointed to the High Court in October 1972. In 1974, he became the 6^th President of the High Court. In 1985, Mr Justice Finlay was appointed as the 7^th Chief Justice of Ireland, where he served until his retirement in 1994. Mr Justice Finlay was made an honorary bencher of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland in 1985 and of Middle Temple in 1986. In 1988, upon the establishment of the Irish Legal History Society, he became its first joint Patron with the then Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, The Rt Hon. Sir Brian Hutton. After his retirement, Mr Justice Finlay chaired and conducted several commissions and inquiries, including the Inquiry into the riots at Lansdowne Road Stadium during the Ireland-England Football match in 1995; the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Blood Transfusion Service Board in 1996-1997; and the Commission on the Newspaper Industry in 1995-1996.

Mr Justice Thomas F. O’Higgins was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1938 and took silk in 1954. During the Second World War, he served in the Local Defence Forces. He was elected as TD for Fine Gael for Laois-Offaly from 1948 until 1969. Between 1950-1951, he represented Ireland at the Council of Europe. He was appointed Minister for Health between 1954-1957. During this time, he founded the Voluntary Health Insurance Board. He was elected as TD for Dublin South County between 1969- 1973 and was the deputy leader of Fine Gael. He unsuccessfully contested two presidential elections in 1966 and 1973. He was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1967. In 1973, he was appointed a judge of the High Court, and in 1974, was appointed to the Supreme Court as the 6^th Chief Justice of Ireland, where he served until 1985. From 1985-1991, he served as a judge of the European Court of Justice. He published a biography, A Double Life in 1996.

Mr Justice John Kenny was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1940 and took silk in 1957. Alongside his practice, he lectured in company law and property law at University College Dublin. He was appointed to the High Court in 1961 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1975, where he served until his retirement in 1982.

Mr Justice Weldon Parke was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1939 and took silk in 1963.  Mr Justice Parke was chair of the Bar Council between 1973-1974. He was also chair of the Incorporated Council for Law Reporting in Ireland. Mr Justice Parke was appointed to the High Court in 1974 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1976, where he served until his death in 1981.

Mr Justice Anthony Hederman was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1944 and took silk in 1965. Mr Justice Hederman served on Fianna Fáil’s national executive between 1948-1973. He served as Attorney General of Ireland between 1977-1981. Mr Justice Hederman was also elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1977. He was appointed directly to the Supreme Court in 1981, where he served until his retirement in 1993. Mr Justice Hederman was appointed President of the Law Reform Commission in 1992, serving until 1998. He chaired the Committee to Review the Offences Against the States Acts 1930-1998, reporting in 2002 and was the first chairman of the National Board for Child Protection, where he served between 2005-2007.

Mr Justice Niall McCarthy was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1946, took silk in 1959, and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1975. Between 1977-1988, Mr Justice McCarthy was the chairman of the National Association for the Deaf. He was chair of the Bar Council between 1980-1982. Mr Justice McCarthy was appointed directly to the Supreme Court in 1982. From 1987, Mr Justice McCarthy acted as the chairman of the National Archives Advisory Council. He served as a judge of the Supreme Court until his death in 1992.

Mr Justice Liam Hamilton was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Mr Justice Hamilton worked in the Department of Justice in the Central Office of the High Court before his studies at University College Dublin. Mr Justice Hamilton was called to the Bar in 1956 and took silk in 1968. He was appointed to the High Court in 1974 and as the 7^th President of the High Court in 1985, where he was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Between 1991-1994, Mr Justice Hamilton acted as the sole member of the Beef Tribunal. In 1994, he was appointed to the Supreme Court and as the 8^th Chief Justice of Ireland. In 1999, Mr Justice Hamilton was the sole member of the inquiry into the Philip Sheedy affair. Mr Justice Hamilton served as a judge of the Supreme Court until his retirement in 2000.

Mr Justice Hugh O’Flaherty was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1959 and took silk in 1976. Mr Justice O’Flaherty was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1990 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He served until his retirement in 1999.

Mr Justice Egan was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1945, took silk in 1962, and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1981. Mr Justice Egan was appointed to the High Court in 1984 and became a member of the Special Criminal Court in 1989. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1991. Following his retirement as a judge in 1995, Mr Justice Egan was appointed chair of the Hepatitis B Compensation Tribunal.

Mr Justice John Blayney was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1948, took silk in 1973 and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1981. Alongside his practice, he lectured in land law in University College Dublin. Mr Justice Blayney was appointed to the High Court in 1986 and the Supreme Court in 1992. Following his retirement in 1997, Mr Justice Blayney was appointed as chair of a committee established by the Chartered Accountants Institute. Mr Justice Blayney was awarded a papal order of knighthood in 2008.

Mrs Justice Susan Denham was educated at Trinity College Dublin, the Honorable Society of King’s Inns and Columbia University. She was called to the Bar in 1971 and took silk in 1987. In 1991, Mrs Justice Denham was appointed to the High Court and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. In 1992, Mrs Justice Denham was the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Ireland. Mrs Justice Denham chaired the Working Group on a Courts Commission in 1995-1998 which led to the creation of the Courts Service, and in 2006, chaired the Working Group on a Court of Appeal which led to the establishment of the Court of Appeal. In 2011, Mrs Justice Denham was appointed as the 11^th Chief Justice of Ireland and is the first woman to hold this position in the State’s history.

Mr Justice Whelehan was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of Kings Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1966, the Bar of England and Wales in 1970, and the Bar of New South Wales in 1993. He took silk in 1980. Mr Justice Whelehan served as Attorney General of Ireland between 1991-1994. In 1993, he was appointed to the High Court and became the 8^th President of the High Court. He resigned six days after being appointed, due to a political controversy which arose from a delay in the processing of an extradition warrant in the office of the Attorney General while he had been Attorney General. An Oireachtas Inquiry into the controversy established that the particular extradition request had never been brought to his attention by the senior official who received the request. Following his resignation, Mr Justice Whelehan was, by virtue of a resolution of a General Meeting of the Bar enabled to resume practice at the Bar without restriction notwithstanding that he had been a judge of the Superior Courts. Mr Justice Whelehan was first elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1992 and was re-elected as a bencher in 1995 after recommencing practice. He retired from practice in 2007.

Mr Justice Declan Costello was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1948 and took silk in 1965. Between 1951-1969, Mr Justice Costello was elected as a TD for Fine Gael for the Dublin North-West constituency and the Dublin South-West constituency between 1973-1977. In 1955, he was a founding member and later President of the Association of Parents and Friends of Mentally Handicapped Children, renamed St Michael’s House. Mr Justice Costello served as Attorney General of Ireland between 1973-1977, during which he established the independent Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and, in 1975, the Law Reform Commission. Mr Justice Costello was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1973. He was a member of the Irish delegation to the Sunningdale Conference on Northern Ireland in 1973. Mr Justice Costello was appointed to the High Court in 1977 and as the 9^th President of the High Court in 1995, where he served until his retirement in 1997. In April 1979, Mr Justice Costello was appointed the sole member of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Whiddy Island disaster. He later chaired an inquiry into Ansbacher (Cayman) Ltd. regarding the tax affairs of Guinness & Mahon Bank and assisted in the organisation of the Special Olympics held in Dublin in 2003.

Mr Justice Donal Barrington was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1951, took silk in 1968, and was first elected as a bencher of the Honourable King’s Inns in 1978. Mr Justice Barrington served as the Chair of the Bar Council between 1978-1979. Mr Justice Barrington was appointed to the High Court in 1979 and thereafter was appointed as one of the first judges of the Court of First Instance (now General Court) of the Court of Justice of the European Union on its establishment in 1989. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1996 and was subsequently re-elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He served until his retirement in 2000. Mr Justice Barrington was a founding member of the Irish Council of Civil Liberties and was the first President of the Irish Human Rights Commission, which later became the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

Mr Justice Ronan Keane was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1954 and took silk in 1970. Mr Justice Keane was chair of the Bar Council between 1974-1975. Mr Justice Keane was appointed to the High Court in 1979 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. In 1981, he headed the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Stardust Fire. Between 1987-1992, Mr Justice Keane was the chair of the Law Reform Commission. In 1996, Mr Justice Keane was appointed to the Supreme Court and appointed as the 9^th Chief Justice of Ireland in 2000. Following his retirement in 2004, he became an adjunct professor at Trinity College Dublin.

Mr Justice Francis Murphy was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1953 and took silk in 1969. Mr Justice Murphy was a professor at the Honorable Society of King’s Inns between 1962-1970.  He was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1975 and was chair of the Bar Council between 1976-1977. He was appointed to the High Court in 1982 and to the Supreme Court in 1996, where he served until his retirement in 2002. Following his retirement as a judge, Mr Justice Murphy was appointed to chair the commission of the Ferns Report in 2002, the Revenue Powers Group in 2003, the Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal in 2007, and the Residential Institutions Review Committee in 2019. In 2010, Mr Justice Murphy was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by University College Cork.

Mr Justice Kevin Lynch was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1949, took silk in 1970, and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1980. He was appointed as a judge of the High Court in 1984, during which he presided over the Kerry Babies Tribunal between 1984-1985. Mr Justice Lynch was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1996, where he served until his retirement in 1999. 

Mr Justice Henry Barron was educated at Trinity College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1951 and took silk in 1970. He was appointed to the High Court in 1982 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Mr Justice Barron was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1997, where he served until his retirement in 2000. In 2003, Mr Justice Barron produced the Barron Report, having been commissioned to investigate the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan Bombings and other bombing incidents.

Mr Justice Frederick Morris was educated at University College Dublin and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1952 and took silk in 1973. He was appointed to the High Court in 1990 and as a judge of the Special Criminal Court in 1991, where he was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s. Mr Justice Morris became the 10^th President of the High Court in 1998. Following his retirement in 2001, he acted as the chairman of the Referendum Commission and as the sole member of the Morris Tribunal of Inquiry into complaints concerning some Gardaí of the Donegal Division.

Mr Justice John L. Murray was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1967 and took silk in 1981. Mr Justice Murray served as Attorney General of Ireland from August-December 1982 and between 1987-1991. He was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1985. Mr Justice Murray was appointed to the European Court of Justice in 1992, where he served until 1999, when he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ireland. In 2000, Mr Justice Murray chaired the Anti-Fraud Committee of the European Central Bank. In 2004, he became the 10^th Chief Justice of Ireland and served in that capacity until 2011. During this time, he served as Chairman of the ad hoc Ethics Committee of the European Commission. He continued to serve as an ordinary member of the Supreme Court until his retirement in 2015. In 2013, Mr Justice Murray was appointed Chancellor of the University of Limerick. In 2016, Mr Justice Murray was appointed to conduct a review of the legislation allowing access to the phone records of journalists. Mr Justice Murray acted as Chair of an Advisory Panel on the appointment of judges to the European Court of Human Rights until 2017.

Ms Justice Catherine McGuinness was educated at Trinity College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. She was called to the Bar in 1977 and took silk in 1989. In 1979, she was elected as an independent candidate to the 14^th Seanad for the Dublin University constituency. She was re-elected in 1981 and again in 1983, serving until 1987. Ms Justice McGuinness was appointed to the Council of State on two occasions, first between 1988-1990 and again between 2012-2019. In 1994, Ms Justice McGuinness was the first woman to be appointed to the Circuit Court of Ireland. She was appointed to the High Court in 1996 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2000. In 2005, she was made an adjunct professor at the National University of Ireland (Galway), subsequently chairing its Board of Governors. Following her retirement in 2006, she was appointed President of the Law Reform Commission until 2011. Ms Justice McGuinness also served as the chairperson of several bodies, including the Employment Equality Agency, the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, and the National Council on the Forum on End of Life in Ireland.

Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1974 and took silk in 1989. In 1985, Mr Justice Hardiman was a founding member of the Progressive Democrats. In 1988, he was called to the Bar of England and Wales. Mr Justice Hardiman was appointed directly to the Supreme Court in 2000 and was elected as a bencher of the Honourable Society of King’s Inns in 2000 and as a bencher of Middle Temple in 2006.  He also became a member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2006. Mr Justice Hardiman served as a judge until his death in 2016.

Mr Justice Hugh Geoghegan was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1962 and took silk in 1977. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1975 and the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1979. Mr Justice Geoghegan was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1992 and as a bencher of Middle Temple in 2006. Mr Justice Geoghegan served as a Public Service Arbitrator from 1984-1992. Mr Justice Geoghegan was appointed as a judge of the High Court in December 1992. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2000, where he served until his retirement in 2010. Mr Justice Geoghegan was a member of the Council of the Irish Legal History Society from 1999-2020.

Mr Justice Nial Fennelly was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1964, took silk in 1978, and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1986. He was the chair of the Bar Council between 1990-1991. Mr Justice Fennelly was appointed as Advocate General of the European Court of Justice in 1995, the first Irish person to hold this position. In 2000, Mr Justice Fennelly was appointed directly to the Supreme Court, where he served until his retirement in 2014. At the request of Chief Justice Keane, he chaired a working group which reported on the working of the courts generally. Throughout his career, Mr Justice Fennelly served on several boards and committees, including as President of the Irish Centre for European Law and the Fédération Internationale pour le Droit Européen and Chairman of the Irish Society for European Law. Following retirement, he was appointed as the sole member of the Commission of Investigation on certain matters relative to An Garda Síochána and other persons, known as the Fennelly Commission, which investigated the recording of telephone conversations into and out of Garda stations.

Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Mr Justice Finnegan practised as a solicitor between 1966-1978 and was the assistant secretary of the Law Society between 1968-1973. Mr Justice Finnegan was called to the Bar in 1978 and took silk in 1990. Mr Justice Finnegan was appointed to the High Court in 1999 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. In 2001 he was appointed as the 11^th President of the High Court. In 2006, he was appointed to the Supreme Court, where he served until his retirement in 2012.

Mr Justice Brian McCracken was educated at Trinity College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1957, took silk in 1975, and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1990. He was appointed to the High Court in 1995. In 1997, Mr Justice McCracken was appointed as the sole member of the McCracken Tribunal, which inquired into payments made by Mr Ben Dunne Jr. to political parties, persons who were members of the Houses of the Oireachtas between  January 1986-December 1996, and their families. In 2002, he was appointed to the Supreme Court, where he served until his retirement in 2006.

Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar of Ireland in 1968 and to the Bar of England and Wales in 1980. Mr Justice Kearns was subsequently called to the Inner Bar of Ireland in 1982. He was appointed as a judge of the High Court in 1998 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. In 2001, he sat as an alternate judge on the European Court of Human Rights. In 2004, Mr Justice Kearns chaired the Referendum Commission on the referendum on citizenship. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004. He was appointed to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague in 2005 and became a bencher of Middle Temple in 2006. In 2009, he became 13^th President of the High Court, where he served until his retirement in 2015. Mr Justice Kearns is the co-founder of the Association of European Competition Law Judges, established in 2000.

Ms Justice Fidelma Macken was educated at Trinity College Dublin, the London School of Economics, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. She holds an LL.D from Trinity College for her services to the law. She was called to the Bar of Ireland in 1973, commencing practice in 1979 and took silk in 1995. Ms Justice Macken became a member of the Bar of England and Wales in 1987.  Alongside her practice, Ms Justice Macken became the first Averil Deverell Lecturer at Trinity College Dublin. Ms Justice Macken was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1996. She was appointed a judge of the High Court in 1998. In 1999, Ms Justice Macken became the first female judge of the European Court of Justice (“ECJ”), where she served until 2004, and was then re-appointed a judge of the High Court. Ms Justice Macken was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2005. She was appointed a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague in 2005. Ms Justice Macken was elected as a bencher of Middle Temple in 2006.  Ms Justice Macken has lectured extensively throughout Europe, the United States, Mexico, New Zealand, and China.  She became the first Irish and ECJ judge to be appointed a Global Hauser Fellow at New York University. Following her retirement as a judge in 2012, Ms Justice Macken returned to practise in 2013, as a door tenant at Brick Court Chambers, London.

Mr Justice Richard Johnson was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1960 and took silk in 1977. He was appointed to the High Court in 1987, and as a judge of the Special Criminal Court. He was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Mr Justice Johnson became the 12^th President of the High Court in 2006, where he served until his retirement in 2009.

Mr Justice Liam McKechnie was educated at University College Cork, University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1972 and took silk in 1987. Mr Justice McKechnie acted as chairman of the Valuation Tribunal between 1995-2000. Mr Justice McKechnie was chair of the Bar Council between 1999-2000. Mr Justice McKechnie was appointed to the High Court in 2000 and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns.  In 2010, he was appointed to the Supreme Court. Mr Justice McKechnie was elected President of the Association of European Competition Law Judges in 2010. Following his retirement from the Supreme Court in 2021, Mr Justice McKechnie is a visiting professor and a council member of the College of Europe.

Mr Justice Frank Clarke was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1973 and took silk in 1985. Mr Justice Clarke was a professor at the Honorable Society of King’s Inns between 1978-1985. He was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1995. He served as Chairman of the Bar Council of Ireland from 1993-1995 and Chairman of the Council of King’s Inns from 1999-2004. He was elected as an honorary member of the Canadian Bar Association in 1994 and an honorary member of the Australian Bar Association in 2002. He was appointed to the High Court in 2004 and the Supreme Court in 2012. Mr Justice Clarke was a representative of the Supreme Court on the Association of Supreme Administrative Courts of the European Union from 2013-2021. In 2017, Mr Justice Clarke was appointed the 12^th Chief Justice of Ireland. Following his retirement as a judge in 2021, Mr Justice Clarke resumed his practice as a barrister, focusing on arbitration and mediation work. In 2022, Mr Justice Clarke was appointed Chair of the Civil Legal Aid Review Group, President of the Law Reform Commission, and to the Article 255 Comité panel which, pursuant to Article 255 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, issues opinions on candidates’ suitability to perform the duties of Judge and Advocate-General of the Court of Justice and the General Court prior to their appointment by Member States.

Mr Justice John MacMenamin was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Mr Justice MacMenamin was called to the Bar in 1975 and took silk in 1991. Mr Justice MacMenamin was a director of VHI between 1995-1997. He was elected as chair of the Bar Council between 1997-1999. In 1998, Mr Justice MacMenamin was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was appointed to the High Court in 2004 and was appointed as a member of the Special Criminal Court in 2009. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2012, where he served until his retirement in 2022. Mr Justice MacMenamin is an adjunct professor of law at Maynooth University. In 2019, Mr Justice MacMenamin became the judge-in-residence at Dublin City University.

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. She was called to the Bar in 1971 and took silk in 1987. Ms Justice Laffoy served on the Superior Court Rules Committee from 1978-1987, the committee which delivered the consolidation of the Rules in 1986. She served on this committee again in 2015 as a member of the Supreme Court. She was appointed Chairperson of the Rent Tribunal on its establishment in 1983. Ms Justice Laffoy was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1993. Ms Justice Laffoy was appointed to the High Court in 1995 and the Supreme Court in 2013, where she served until her retirement in 2017. In 2016, Ms Justice Laffoy was appointed chair of the Citizens’ Assembly 2016-2018. She was appointed President of the Law Reform Commission from 2018-January 2022.

Mr Justice Sean Ryan was educated at University College, Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1972, practising on the South Eastern Circuit before taking silk in 1983. Mr Justice Ryan was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 2000. In 2002, he chaired the statutory Expert Group on awards under the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 which produced the report entitled: Towards Redress and Recovery. In 2003, he was nominated as Chair of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. The Commission’s report, published in 2009, is generally known as the Ryan Report. Mr Justice Ryan was appointed to the High Court in 2003 but only served as a judge of the High Court from 2009. He was appointed as the 1^st President of the Court of Appeal on its establishment in 2014, where he served until his retirement in 2018.

Mr Justice Peter Kelly was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Before being called to the bar, he worked as a civil servant in the Central Office of the High Court. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1973. He worked for two years in the European Division of the Department of Justice in Dublin, Brussels and Luxembourg before commencing practice at the Bar. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1981, the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1983 and the Irish Inner Bar in 1986. In 1996, Mr Justice Kelly was appointed to the High Court and was subsequently elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns.  In 2011, he was elected as the President of the Association of Judges of Ireland. Mr Justice Kelly was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2014, on its establishment. In 2014, he was elected as a Bencher of Middle Temple. In 2015, Mr Justice Kelly became the 14^th President of the High Court, where he served until his retirement in 2020. In 2016, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate in law by the University of Notre Dame. Mr Justice Kelly was the chairman of the Review of the Administration of Civil Justice, which issued its report in 2020. Mr Justice Kelly is an adjunct professor of law at Maynooth University.

Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan was educated at University College Dublin, the College of Europe (Bruges), the Law Society of Ireland, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Ms Justice Finlay Geoghegan qualified as a solicitor in 1973. She was called to the Bar in 1980 and took silk in 1988. She was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1987, the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1989 and the Bar of New South Wales, Australia in 1993. Ms Justice Finlay Geoghegan served as a part-time member of the Law Reform Commission from 1984-1986 and was a member of the Constitution Review Group chaired by Dr T.K. Whitaker in 1995/96. She was a member and then Chair of the Incorporated Council for Law Reporting between 1998-2002. She was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 1996 and as a bencher of Middle Temple in 2013. Ms Justice Finlay Geoghegan was appointed a judge of the High Court in 2002. She was an ad-hoc judge of the European Court of Human Rights in 2009/10. She was Chair of the Referendum Commission for the 31st Amendment to the Constitution (The Children Referendum – Art 42A) in 2012. Ms Justice Finlay Geoghegan was appointed to the Court of Appeal, upon its establishment in 2014 and to the Supreme Court in 2017, where she served until her retirement in 2019.

Ms Justice Mary Irvine was educated at University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. She was called to the Bar in 1978, took silk in 1996, and was elected as a bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 2004. She was appointed as a judge of the High Court in 2007. Ms Justice Irvine chaired the Working Group on Medical Negligence and Periodic Payments established by the President of the High Court in 2010. Ms Justice Irvine was appointed to the Court of Appeal on its establishment in 2014. She was appointed to Chair the CervicalCheck Tribunal between 2018-2020. She was appointed to Chair the Personal Injuries Guidelines Committee of the Judicial Council in 2019. Ms Justice Irvine was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2019, and in 2020, she became the 15^th President of the High Court and the first woman to do so in Ireland. She served in that office until her retirement in 2022. Ms Justice Irvine was the first person in the State to hold four judicial offices.