Charles Casey (lawyer)

Charles Casey (1895–1952) was an Irish lawyer who became Attorney General for Ireland, and was briefly a High Court judge.

He was born in Dublin in 1895, second son of Dr. Charles Casey and his wife Mary Genevieve Conran, and educated at Castleknock College.[1] During World War I he served in the 16th (Irish) Division. He was called to the Bar in 1923 and made a Senior Counsel in 1941. John A. Costello chose him as Attorney General in 1950 to replace Cecil Lavery. The following year he was made a judge of the High Court; but he died after only fifteen months on the Bench.[2]

He married in 1928 Helen Hanlon, who outlived him by many years, and they had eight children.[3]

Casey, like Lavery, continued to take private work while Attorney General, with the approval of Costello, himself a former Attorney General. He showed questionable judgment in appearing for a private party in Re Tilson, infants [1951] I.R. 1 since while still Attorney General he was required to urge the Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution in the way which suited his client's private interests. While it was never suggested he had acted improperly, such cases fully justify the present rule that the Attorney General takes no private cases. He was also unusual among Irish Attorneys General in acting as the Government's spokesman when it refused to introduce legislation on adoption, on the ground that such legislation would be contrary to Roman Catholic teaching.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Dempsey, Pauric J. "Charles Francis Casey" Dictionary of Irish Biography
  2. ↑ Casey, James " The Irish Law Officers " Round Hall Sweet and Maxwell Dublin 1996
  3. ↑ Dictionary of Irish Biography
  4. ↑ Dictionary of Irish Biography
Legal offices
Preceded by
Cecil Lavery		 Attorney General of Ireland
1950–1951		 Succeeded by
Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh



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