Former Dublin lord mayor among five new judges nominated for High Court

The Government has nominated five new judges, including former Labour Party politician and Dublin lord mayor Oisín Quinn, for appointment by President Michael D Higgins to the High Court.

Separately, the current interim chair of An Bord Pleanála, Oonagh Buckley, is to take up the position of secretary general of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications in September.

The five judicial nominees are Mr Quinn SC, Barry O’Donnell SC, Siobhán Lankford SC, Emily Farrell SC and solicitor Liam Kennedy, who is also a senior counsel.

The nominations, approved by Cabinet on Tuesday, follow the Government’s agreement to implement recommendations of the Judicial Appointments Working Group for the appointment of 44 more judges, across all courts, bringing the total number of judges here to 217.

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The number of High Court judges is expected, following implementation of certain reforms and efficiencies recommended by the JPWG, to be increased from 45 to 57.

Of the five nominees approved today, two will replace two High Court judges who have been elevated to the Court of Appeal. Another High Court judge, Mr Justice Michael Hanna, retires in July.

Four more judges are expected to be appointed to the High Court before the end of July. There are pressures across several lists in that court, including due to the impact of the new Assistant Decision Making Capacity Act which provides for the discharge of more than 2,000 people from wardship within three years.

Liam Kennedy is a partner in law firm A&L Goodbody and, in 2020, was among the first solicitors to be appointed a senior counsel.

[ Oonagh Buckley appointed as interim chairwoman of An Bord Pleanála ]

Mr Quinn, a son of businessman Lochlann Quinn and nephew of former Labour Party leader Ruairí Quinn, was called to the Bar in 1992 and became a senior counsel in 2008. He specialises in employment law, defamation and medical negligence.

Called to the Bar in 1995, Mr O’Donnell became a senior counsel in 2016. His area of practice is general and he frequently represents the HSE in the wards of court list.

Ms Lankford became a senior counsel in 2018, 30 years after being called to the Bar. She operates in general practice and is an accredited mediator.

Ms Farrell was called to the Bar in 1998 and became a senior counsel in 2020. She specialises in constitutional and medical law.

Separately on Monday, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan announced the Government had approved the appointment of Ms Buckley as secretary general of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.

Before taking up the role of interim chair of An Bord Pleanála, she was deputy secretary general in the Department of Justice with responsibility for civil law, which includes immigration, courts and legislation. She was previously director general in the Workplace Relations Commission.

A graduate of UCC, the College of Europe and University of London, Ms Buckley was called to the Bar in 1996. She has an MSc in Business from the Smurfit School in UCD and has been an adjunct professor in the School of Law of UCC since 2017.

Mr Ryan welcomed Ms Buckley’s appointment, saying she, as secretary general, will have “a critical role to play in delivering our vision of a climate neutral, sustainable and digitally connected Ireland”.

He thanked the outgoing Secretary General, Mark Griffin, for his “significant contribution” in the role. Ms Buckley will take up her appointment in September when Mr Griffin completes his term.