Joseph Finnegan
Judge of the Supreme Court
In office
7 January 2006  22 March 2012
Nominated byGovernment of Ireland
Appointed byMary McAleese
President of the High Court
In office
8 September 2001  7 January 2006
Nominated byGovernment of Ireland
Appointed byMary McAleese
Preceded byFrederick Morris
Succeeded byRichard Johnson
Judge of the High Court
In office
1 July 1999  7 January 2006
Nominated byGovernment of Ireland
Appointed byMary Aleese
Personal details
Born(1942-10-01)1 October 1942
Swords, Dublin, Ireland
Died16 December 2023(2023-12-16) (aged 81)
Dublin, Ireland
EducationSynge Street CBS
Alma mater

Joseph Gerald Finnegan (1 October 1942 – 16 December 2023) was an Irish judge who served as a Judge of the Supreme Court from 2006 to 2012, President of the High Court from 2001 to 2006 and a Judge of the High Court from 1999 to 2006.[1]

Finnegan was technically the second highest ranking judge in Ireland while he was President of the High Court and was an ex officio member of the Supreme Court that he was subsequently appointed to as a full member.

Biography

Joseph Gerald Finnegan was born on 1 October 1942.[2] He was educated at Synge Street CBS[3] and St. Mary's College Dundalk. He attended University College Dublin and was awarded degrees of Bachelor of Civil Law and Bachelor of Laws. He qualified as a solicitor in 1966. He was Assistant Secretary of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland from 1968 to 1973. He was called to the Bar in 1978 and became Senior Counsel in 1990. He practised mainly in general common law and chancery matters. He had a particular interest in conveyancing and title related litigation. He was appointed to the bench of the High Court in 1999 and was appointed President of the High Court in 2001, a position which he held until his appointment to the Supreme Court of Ireland in December 2006. He retired from the Supreme Court in 2012.

Finnegan was a member of the Board of the Courts Service from 2001 to 2006, and sat on the Finance Committee and Remuneration Committee and was chairman of its Audit Committee. He had a keen interest in legal education and was a member of the Education Committee of the Honorable Society of the King's Inns from 2000 until his death. He was also a Bencher of the Honorable Society of King's Inns and a Bencher of the Honorable Society of Middle Temple.

Finnegan died in Dublin on 16 December 2023, at the age of 81.[4]

References

  1. Sheahan, Fionnan (22 November 2006). "Judge gets a promotion to Supreme Court". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  2. "Finnegan, Joseph, (born 1 Oct. 1942), a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland, 2006–12". Who's Who. 1 December 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U245196.
  3. Donaghy, Kathy (17 July 2004). "Five now in the running to become new chief justice". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  4. "Former president of the High Court Joseph Finnegan dies aged 81". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
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