Seán Ryan (Irish judge)
| The Hon. Mr Justice Seán Ryan | |
|---|---|
| President of the Court of Appeal of Ireland | |
|
Assumed office 28 October 2014 | |
| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Michael D. Higgins |
| Preceded by | Position established |
Seán Ryan is the President of the Irish Court of Appeal. He previously served as a judge of the High Court.
As a barrister, he was Senior Counsel to the inquiry into abuse in the Catholic diocese of Ferns (the Ferns Report),[1] and was chairman of the Compensation Advisory Committee that prepared guidelines on compensation to be paid to abuse survivors at the Residential Institutions Redress Board.[2]
In September 2003 Ryan was selected to head the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse following the controversial resignation of the previous chair, The Hon. Miss Justice Mary Laffoy,[3] who claimed her work had been systematically obstructed by the Department of Education.[2] The government appointed him a High Court judge, without seeking a recommendation from the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board,[4] "to guarantee that the integrity and independence of the chairperson will be maintained."[1]
Ryan published the Commission's public report on 20 May 2009 and it was immediately hailed as "a work of incalculable value to this country"[5] and praised for its "meticulous gathering of evidence",[6] though "Justice has not been done as many of the abusers will never face the rigours of the law."[7]
In 2014 he was named by the Government as the President designate of the new Court of Appeal.[8] He was nominated as President of the court by the Government on 29 October 2014 [9] and appointed by the President of Ireland on the same day.[10]
References
- 1 2 "One in Four welcomes Ryan's appointment". RTÉ. 2003-09-26. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- 1 2 "Laffoy inquiry faces threat of second collapse". The Sunday Business Post. 2003-10-19. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ↑ "Laffoy quits Child Abuse Commission". RTÉ. 2003-09-02. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ↑ "Judicial Appointments Advisory Board: Annual Report 2003" (PDF). Irish Courts Service. p. 13. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ↑ "Report a monument to a society's shame". Irish Times. 2009-05-21. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ↑ Bunting, Madeleine (2009-05-21). "An abuse too far by the Catholic church". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ↑ "Child abuse scandal was Ireland’s nightmare from hell". The Belfast Telegraph. 2009-05-23. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ↑ http://www.merrionstreet.ie/index.php/2014/07/announcement-of-six-judges-designate-of-the-court-of-appeal/?cat=12
- ↑ "Appointments to the Court of Appeal". MerrionStreet.ie. 29 October 2014.
- ↑ "President appoints Appeal Court Judges". Áras an Uachtaráin. 28 October 2014.