Ann Power
Encyclopedia
Ann Power is an Irish lawyer and academic, and since 22 January 2008 has been the judge in respect of Ireland
at the European Court of Human Rights
, the international tribunal tasked with enforcement of the European Convention on Human Rights
amongst the Council of Europe
's forty-seven Member States. Her term on the Court will end in 2014.
. She studied English and Philosophy at the Mater Dei Institute of Education
in the city from 1980 to 1984 (B.Rel.Sc. 1984), and for a Master of Education degree at Trinity College, Dublin
, specialising in Philosophy, from 1984 to 1987, graduating first class both times. In 1986, she began working as a secondary school
English teacher, and in 1987 combined this with lecturing in Philosophy. From 1989 to 1991, whilst still teaching and lecturing, she studied for a Diploma in Legal Studies from the King's Inns
, the institution through which barrister
s are admitted to legal practice in Ireland
, and from 1991 to 1993 undertook legal training there as a barrister, winning the John Brooke Scholarship for first place in Ireland in the final Bar examinations. She later completed a D.Phil.
in Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy at University College, Oxford
.
, whilst continuing to lecture in Philosophy. She developed a practice in Constitutional, Public and Medical law, as well as Immigration and Asylum law, and from 1998 to 2003 was a lecturer in Jurisprudence at King's Inns
. In 2006, she was appointed Senior Counsel
(postnominal SC), a similar position to Queen's Counsel
in the United Kingdom, at one point representing Taoiseach
(Prime Minister
) of Ireland Bertie Ahern
.
and Roger Sweetman to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
to be considered for appointment as the judge in respect of Ireland at the European Court of Human Rights
. Ní Aoláin withdrew her candidacy shortly afterwards for personal reasons, and in her stead was nominated David Keane. On 22 January 2008, Power was elected, achieving 125 votes out of 173 cast. She was elected at the same time as the judges for Bulgaria
, Latvia
, Moldova
and Turkey
, and is a member of Section III of the Court. Her term will expire in 2014.
Shortly after being appointed to the Court, in July 2008, Power withdrew from participating in the case of A, B and C v Ireland, a case brought by three women challenging Ireland's controversial abortion laws. She did so under Rule 28 of the Rules of Court, which restricts a judge from participating in consideration of a case where they will or may not be able to be impartial, for example where a family member is involved or they have previousy acted in the matter. She was originally to be replaced in the Grand Chamber hearing by High Court judge Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns
, however he withdrew on being appointed President of the High Court, and she was instead replaced by Mrs Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan, High Court judge and wife of then Supreme Court judge Hugh Geoghegan
.
, Irish
, French
and Polish
. From 1988 to 2000, she was an appointed member of the Academic Council of All Hallows College
, a Roman Catholic college in Drumcondra
, Dublin, linked to Dublin City University
.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
at the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
, the international tribunal tasked with enforcement of the European Convention on Human Rights
European Convention on Human Rights
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
amongst the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
's forty-seven Member States. Her term on the Court will end in 2014.
Early life
Power was born on 23 November 1962 in Dublin, the capital of IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. She studied English and Philosophy at the Mater Dei Institute of Education
Mater Dei Institute of Education
Mater Dei Institute of Education is a linked college of Dublin City University since 1999, located in Drumcondra, Dublin City, Ireland, near Croke Park, on the site of what was formerly Clonliffe College, the Roman Catholic Seminary for the Archdiocese of Dublin...
in the city from 1980 to 1984 (B.Rel.Sc. 1984), and for a Master of Education degree at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, specialising in Philosophy, from 1984 to 1987, graduating first class both times. In 1986, she began working as a secondary school
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
English teacher, and in 1987 combined this with lecturing in Philosophy. From 1989 to 1991, whilst still teaching and lecturing, she studied for a Diploma in Legal Studies from the King's Inns
King's Inns
The Honorable Society of King's Inns , is the institution which controls the entry of barristers-at-law into the justice system of Ireland...
, the institution through which barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
s are admitted to legal practice in Ireland
Law of the Republic of Ireland
The law of the Republic of Ireland consists of constitutional, statute and common law. The highest law in the Republic is the Constitution of Ireland, from which all other law derives its authority...
, and from 1991 to 1993 undertook legal training there as a barrister, winning the John Brooke Scholarship for first place in Ireland in the final Bar examinations. She later completed a D.Phil.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy at University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
.
Career
Power was admitted as a barrister in 1993 and worked as an advocate before the Superior Courts of IrelandCourts of the Republic of Ireland
The Courts of the Republic of Ireland consist of the Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeal, the High Court, the Circuit Court and the District Court. The courts apply the laws of Ireland. Ireland is a common law jurisdiction and trials for serious offences must usually be held before a jury...
, whilst continuing to lecture in Philosophy. She developed a practice in Constitutional, Public and Medical law, as well as Immigration and Asylum law, and from 1998 to 2003 was a lecturer in Jurisprudence at King's Inns
King's Inns
The Honorable Society of King's Inns , is the institution which controls the entry of barristers-at-law into the justice system of Ireland...
. In 2006, she was appointed Senior Counsel
Senior Counsel
The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, typically equivalent to the title "Queen's Counsel" used in Commonwealth Realms...
(postnominal SC), a similar position to Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in the United Kingdom, at one point representing Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
(Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
) of Ireland Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
.
European Court of Human Rights
In September 2007, Power was nominated under Article 22 ECHR along with Fionnuala Ní AoláinFionnuala ni Aolain
Fionnuala Ní Aoláin is an Irish academic lawyer specialising in human rights law. She is concurrently Professor of Law at the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland - where she teaches international law and international human rights law, and is the founder and Director of the Transitional...
and Roger Sweetman to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
to be considered for appointment as the judge in respect of Ireland at the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
. Ní Aoláin withdrew her candidacy shortly afterwards for personal reasons, and in her stead was nominated David Keane. On 22 January 2008, Power was elected, achieving 125 votes out of 173 cast. She was elected at the same time as the judges for Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and is a member of Section III of the Court. Her term will expire in 2014.
Shortly after being appointed to the Court, in July 2008, Power withdrew from participating in the case of A, B and C v Ireland, a case brought by three women challenging Ireland's controversial abortion laws. She did so under Rule 28 of the Rules of Court, which restricts a judge from participating in consideration of a case where they will or may not be able to be impartial, for example where a family member is involved or they have previousy acted in the matter. She was originally to be replaced in the Grand Chamber hearing by High Court judge Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns
Nicholas Kearns
Nicholas Kearns is the President of the High Court of Ireland, and ex-officio member of the Supreme Court. He was appointed a judge of the High Court in 1998 and was appointed to the Supreme Court in November 2004. He is the most senior Irish judge after Chief Justice Susan Denham. He was...
, however he withdrew on being appointed President of the High Court, and she was instead replaced by Mrs Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan, High Court judge and wife of then Supreme Court judge Hugh Geoghegan
Hugh Geoghegan
Hugh Geoghegan was a justice of the Supreme Court of Ireland of Ireland from 8 March 2000 , having been nominated by the Government of Ireland on 22 February 2000 until May 2010 when he retired. He replaced Mr Justice Donal Barrington...
.
Personal life
Power lists her interests as including drama, singing, travelling, painting and hillwalking. She speaks EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
. From 1988 to 2000, she was an appointed member of the Academic Council of All Hallows College
All Hallows College
All Hallows College is a Roman Catholic college located in Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland. All Hallows is one of six linked colleges of Dublin City University, meaning that the college's degrees are validated and accredited by the university.-History:...
, a Roman Catholic college in Drumcondra
Drumcondra
Drumcondra is the name of several places:* Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland, a residential area on the Northside of Dublin.** Drumcondra railway station** Drumcondra F.C., former football club...
, Dublin, linked to Dublin City University
Dublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
.