John Doherty (politician)
Encyclopedia
John Doherty was a politician, Solicitor-General for Ireland
and senior judge.
1808.
for New Ross
, Kilkenny City
and Newport (Cornwall)
and served as Solicitor-General for Ireland
from 1827 to 1830. In 1830 he was appointed Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas
, which he remained until his death in 1850.
As Solicitor-General he is remembered mainly for prosecuting in the Doneraile Conspiracy case in 1829 and his ferocious clashes with Daniel O'Connell
who appeared for several of the accused and secured their acquittals. O'Connell attacked both Doherty's tactics and his integrity: he repeated the attacks in Parliament where Doherty successfully defended his conduct.While O'Connell had a very poor opinion of Doherty ( as he did of Thomas Lefroy) most of his colleagues admired Doherty's legal ability; however most of them agreed with O'Connell that his rapid advancement was due to his reputation as a safe Government man.
Solicitor-General for Ireland
The Solicitor-General for Ireland was the holder of an Irish and then United Kingdom government office. The holder was a deputy to the Attorney-General for Ireland, and advised the Crown on Irish legal matters. At least one holder of the office, Patrick Barnewall played a significant role in...
and senior judge.
Background and education
Doherty was born in Dublin, the son of John Doherty and his wife Margaret Verney. He was educated at Chester School and the University of Dublin and was called to the BarCall to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
1808.
Legal and judicial career
Doherty was made a King's Counsel in 1823. He was Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for New Ross
New Ross (UK Parliament constituency)
New Ross was a United Kingdom Parliament constituency, in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament . It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801.-Boundaries:...
, Kilkenny City
Kilkenny City (UK Parliament constituency)
Kilkenny City was an Irish Borough constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament...
and Newport (Cornwall)
Newport (Cornwall) (UK Parliament constituency)
Newport was a rotten borough situated in Cornwall. It is now within the town of Launceston, which was itself also a parliamentary borough at the same period...
and served as Solicitor-General for Ireland
Solicitor-General for Ireland
The Solicitor-General for Ireland was the holder of an Irish and then United Kingdom government office. The holder was a deputy to the Attorney-General for Ireland, and advised the Crown on Irish legal matters. At least one holder of the office, Patrick Barnewall played a significant role in...
from 1827 to 1830. In 1830 he was appointed Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas
Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas
The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas for Ireland was the senior judge of the Court of Common Pleas ,known in its early stage as the Common Bench or simply Bench, one of the senior courts of common law in Ireland. It was a mirror of the Court of Common Pleas in England...
, which he remained until his death in 1850.
As Solicitor-General he is remembered mainly for prosecuting in the Doneraile Conspiracy case in 1829 and his ferocious clashes with Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
who appeared for several of the accused and secured their acquittals. O'Connell attacked both Doherty's tactics and his integrity: he repeated the attacks in Parliament where Doherty successfully defended his conduct.While O'Connell had a very poor opinion of Doherty ( as he did of Thomas Lefroy) most of his colleagues admired Doherty's legal ability; however most of them agreed with O'Connell that his rapid advancement was due to his reputation as a safe Government man.