John L. Murray
Encyclopedia
John Loyola Murray is an Irish
judge and served as the Chief Justice of Ireland
from 2004 to 2011.
Murray was born in Limerick
in 1943 and educated at Crescent College
, Limerick
, Rockwell College
, County Tipperary
, University College Dublin
, and the Honorable Society of King's Inns. He was President of the Union of Students in Ireland
in 1966/67. He qualified as a barrister
in 1967 and had a successful law practice dealing with commercial, civil, and constitutional law.
He has served on the Supreme Court since 1999, and before that was a member of the European Court of Justice
prior to his appointment from 1992. He served the Fianna Fáil
government as Attorney General of Ireland
from 17 August to 14 December 1982. The Taoiseach
, Charles Haughey
, appointed him as Attorney General after his predecessor, Patrick Connolly
, resigned abruptly over the GUBU
scandal, when a murderer Malcolm McArthur
was arrested in Connolly's Dalkey
flat.
His next term in office as Attorney General extended from 11 March 1987 to 25 September 1991. In 1988 he refused to allow the extradition of Fr. Patrick Ryan to Britain on explosives charges dealing with the Provisional IRA
on the basis that the trial he would be given would not be fair to due excessive media coverage and remarks made in parliament
by the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
which were considered prejudicial.
In 1991 he was appointed as a judge to the European Court of Justice
serving until 1999 when he was appointed to the Supreme Court. He was appointed as Chief Justice of Ireland
in 2004 and retired as Chief Justice in 2011, though he remains a member of the Supreme Court.
In 2011 Murray became involved in controversy with the Government over a proposal to amend the Constitution to allow the remuneration of judges to be reduced in parallel to the remuneration of public servants in State employment.
The criticisms of the Government’s plans were contained in a 12-page critique by the Chief Justice, John Murray, and the President of the High Court, Nicholas Kearns and published in the Court Services website, but subsequently redacted at the request of the Government.
He is married to Gabrielle Walsh, daughter of Brian Walsh, a former Supreme Court judge.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
judge and served as the Chief Justice of Ireland
Chief Justice of Ireland
The Chief Justice of Ireland is the president of the Supreme Court of Ireland.Under Constitution of Ireland, the Chief Justice of Ireland also occupies several positions ex officio, these include;* A possible judge of the High Court....
from 2004 to 2011.
Murray was born in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
in 1943 and educated at Crescent College
Crescent College
Crescent College Comprehensive SJ is a secondary school located on a section of 40 acres of parkland at Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland. The college is one of a number of Jesuit schools in Ireland.- History :...
, Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, Rockwell College
Rockwell College
Rockwell College, founded in 1864, is a private Catholic secondary school near Cashel, South Tipperary in Ireland. It offers day as well as full boarding. Rockwell is run by the Holy Ghost Fathers.-Politics:...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, and the Honorable Society of King's Inns. He was President of the Union of Students in Ireland
Union of Students in Ireland
The Union of Students in Ireland is the national representative body for third-level students' unions in Ireland. The Union of Students in Ireland is the sole national representative body for students in Ireland but does not represent students from two of the seven Irish Universities, namely...
in 1966/67. He qualified as a 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...
in 1967 and had a successful law practice dealing with commercial, civil, and constitutional law.
He has served on the Supreme Court since 1999, and before that was a member of the European Court of Justice
European Court of Justice
The Court can sit in plenary session, as a Grand Chamber of 13 judges, or in chambers of three or five judges. Plenary sitting are now very rare, and the court mostly sits in chambers of three or five judges...
prior to his appointment from 1992. He served the Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
government as Attorney General of Ireland
Attorney General of Ireland
The Attorney General is a constitutional officer who is the official adviser to the Government of Ireland in matters of law. He is in effect the chief law officer in Ireland. The Attorney General is not a member of the Government but does participate in cabinet meetings when invited and attends...
from 17 August to 14 December 1982. The 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...
, Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
, appointed him as Attorney General after his predecessor, Patrick Connolly
Patrick Connolly
Patrick Connolly is a former Attorney General of Ireland who was appointed by Charles Haughey. Connolly resigned after Malcolm McArthur, who had been a house-guest of Connolly's, was later convicted of the murder of a nurse, Bridie Gargan ....
, resigned abruptly over the GUBU
GUBU
GUBU is an acronym standing for grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented.The phrase was paraphrased from a comment by then Taoiseach of Ireland, Charles Haughey, while describing a strange series of incidents in the summer of 1982 that led to a double-murderer being apprehended in the...
scandal, when a murderer Malcolm McArthur
Malcolm McArthur
Malcolm J. "Mannie" McArthur was an Australian rugby union national representative rugby union player. He won a gold medal in rugby at the 1908 Summer Olympics.-Rugby career:...
was arrested in Connolly's Dalkey
Dalkey
Dalkey is suburb of Dublin and seaside resort in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland. It was founded as a Viking settlement and became an important port during the Middle Ages. According to John Clyn, it was one of the ports through which the plague entered Ireland in the mid-14th century...
flat.
His next term in office as Attorney General extended from 11 March 1987 to 25 September 1991. In 1988 he refused to allow the extradition of Fr. Patrick Ryan to Britain on explosives charges dealing with the Provisional IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
on the basis that the trial he would be given would not be fair to due excessive media coverage and remarks made in parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
by the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
which were considered prejudicial.
In 1991 he was appointed as a judge to the European Court of Justice
European Court of Justice
The Court can sit in plenary session, as a Grand Chamber of 13 judges, or in chambers of three or five judges. Plenary sitting are now very rare, and the court mostly sits in chambers of three or five judges...
serving until 1999 when he was appointed to the Supreme Court. He was appointed as Chief Justice of Ireland
Chief Justice of Ireland
The Chief Justice of Ireland is the president of the Supreme Court of Ireland.Under Constitution of Ireland, the Chief Justice of Ireland also occupies several positions ex officio, these include;* A possible judge of the High Court....
in 2004 and retired as Chief Justice in 2011, though he remains a member of the Supreme Court.
In 2011 Murray became involved in controversy with the Government over a proposal to amend the Constitution to allow the remuneration of judges to be reduced in parallel to the remuneration of public servants in State employment.
The criticisms of the Government’s plans were contained in a 12-page critique by the Chief Justice, John Murray, and the President of the High Court, Nicholas Kearns and published in the Court Services website, but subsequently redacted at the request of the Government.
He is married to Gabrielle Walsh, daughter of Brian Walsh, a former Supreme Court judge.