FINE GAEL councillor Alan Mitchell was among the solicitors appointed to the District Court yesterday, when 12 new District and Circuit Court judges were nominated by the Government.
Mr Mitchell was the Fine Gael group leader on Longford County Council and Longford Town Council until yesterday, when he delivered his letters of resignation to the councils.
A representative on Longford County Council since 1999, he assisted with the general election campaign of Fine Gael’s Longford-based TD James Bannon. He is behind the firm Alan Mitchell Co Solicitors, Main Street, Longford.
Also nominated by the Government for appointment by the President to the District Court yesterday were solicitors Eugene O’Kelly; Marie Quirke; Kevin Staunton and Michael Walsh.
Among the seven lawyers nominated for appointment to the Circuit Court yesterday was solicitor Keenan Johnson, whose father Patrick Keenan Johnson was appointed a judge of the District Court in 1975.
Another appointee, Judge David Riordan, is a member of the editorial board of the Judicial Studies Institute Journaland member of the District Court Rules Committee.
He was appointed as a judge of the District Court in 1995 after he was nominated by the so-called Rainbow coalition of Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left.
Carmel Stewart SC, a member and former chairperson of the Family Lawyers Association, who represented three women who travelled abroad for abortions at the European Court of Human Rights, was also appointed as a Circuit Court judge yesterday.
She was a member of the Mountjoy Visiting Committee from 1996 until 1999, vice-chairwoman of the Employment Appeals Tribunal from 1993 until 1997, and a former director and board member of the Free Legal Advice Centres (Flac).
Mary Ellen Ring SC, a founding member of the Children’s Legal Centre and member of the National Crime Council from 1999 until 2005, became a judge of the Circuit Court yesterday.
She was a founding member of the Irish Association for the Study of Delinquency and was chairwoman of the Irish Women Lawyers Association in 2008.
Also made Circuit Court judges yesterday were Barry Hickson SC, Sarah Berkeley BL and Pauline Codd BL.
The appointments arise mainly from judicial retirements between September 2011 and February 2012, as well as the death last summer of Judge Con Murphy of the Circuit Court and the promotion to the High Court last October of Judge Michael White.
Three further nominations to the District Court will be made by the Government shortly after permanent assignments to the District Court Districts.
New Circuit Court judges Carmel Stewart, Mary Ellen Ring and Sarah Berkeley will be assigned to the Dublin Circuit permanently, while Judge David Riordan will be assigned to the Cork Circuit.
The other new Circuit Court judges – Keenan Johnson, Pauline Codd and Barry Hickson – will serve as unassigned judges. The appointments follow the receipt by Government of lists of suitable candidates from the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board.
APPOINTMENTS: DISTRICT AND CIRCUIT JUDGES
Sarah Berkeley was born in 1969 and educated in UCD and the King's Inns, before being called to the Bar in 1992. She served as vice-chairwoman of the Employment Appeals Tribunal between 1996 and 2003 and her practice areas included civil litigation and family law.
Pauline Codd was born in 1966 and educated in Trinity College and the King's Inns. She was called to the Bar in 1992. She has chaired the Garda Disciplinary Tribunal since 2009 and her practice included civil and criminal litigation with an emphasis on employment law.
Barry Hickson was born in 1947 and educated in the Institute of Industrial Engineers, UCD and the King's Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1978 and became an SC in 2004. He served as vice-chairman of the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Garda Disciplinary Tribunal, and practised in family and criminal law and personal injury litigation.
Keenan Johnson was born in 1958 and educated in the Law Society. He is an arbitrator and mediator as well as a solicitor, having a mixed practice including family and criminal law and civil litigation.
Mary Ellen Ring was born in 1955, educated in UCD, DIT and the King's Inns and called to the Bar in 1985. She became a senior counsel in 2002. She was a member of the National Crime Council from 1999 to 2005 and a founding member of the Children's Legal Centre and the Irish Association for the Study of Delinquency. She chaired the Irish Women Lawyers Association in 2008. Her practice included family and criminal law and civil litigation.
David Riordan was born in 1952 and educated in UCC, the King's Inns and Trinity College. He was called to the Bar in 1977 and became a solicitor in 1984. He was appointed a District Court judge in 1995, and is a member of the editorial board of the Judicial Studies Institute Journal.
Carmel Stewart was born in 1957 and educated in UCG and the King's Inns. She was called to the Bar in 1987 and became a senior counsel in 2008. She has served as vice-chairwoman of the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Mountjoy Visiting Committee, and chaired the Family Lawyers Association. Her practice included family law, mental health and wardship law.
Alan Mitchell was born in 1964 and educated in UCD and the Law Society. He is the principal of Alan Mitchell Co solicitors and a member of Longford County Council.
Eugene O'Kelly was born in 1964 and educated in UCD, UCG and University College London. He is a member of the Kilrush Chamber of Commerce and was solicitor to the Commission of Investigation into the death of Gary Douch.
Marie Quirke was born in 1964 and educated in the Law Society. She was managing solicitor of the Finglas Law Centre, practising mainly in family law, and is a member of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. She was a tutor in the Law Society, 1988-2007.
Kevin Staunton was born in 1961 and educated in the University of East London and the King's Inns. He worked as a civil servant from 1980 to 1995, and was called to the English bar in 1993 and the Irish Bar in 1995. He ran a voluntary legal advice clinic for the Citizens Information Centre.
Michael Walsh was born in 1955 and educated in the Law Society. He worked as a teacher from 1976 to 1978 and was principal of Walsh Warren Co solicitors.
