Mary Laffoy
| The Honourable Mary Laffoy | |
|---|---|
| Chair of the Citizens' Assembly | |
|
Assumed office 27 July 2016 | |
| Taoiseach |
Enda Kenny Leo Varadkar |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Judge of the Supreme Court | |
|
In office 27 July 2013 – 16 June 2017 | |
| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Michael D. Higgins |
| Judge of the High Court | |
|
In office 23 June 1995 – 27 July 2016 | |
| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Mary Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mary Eleanor Laffoy 17 June 1945 Tuam, Galway, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Alma mater | |
Mary Eleanor Laffoy (born 17 June 1945) is a retired Irish judge who has served as Chair of the Citizens' Assembly since July 2016. She previously served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland from 2013 to 2017 and Judge of the High Court from 1995 to 2013.[1]
Career
She was educated at University College Dublin and King's Inns.[2] She was called to the Bar in 1971 and to the Inner Bar in 1987. She was appointed as a judge of the High Court in 1995.[3]
She is most notable for presiding over the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse from 1999–2003, an inquiry into child abuse. Her decision to resign as chair before the commission completed its report was controversial. In her letter of resignation from the commission of 2 September 2003, Laffoy outlined her belief that the actions of the Government and the Department of Education had frustrated her efforts and had slowed the commission's work.[4] She felt that: "...the cumulative effect of those factors effectively negated the guarantee of independence conferred on the Commission and militated against it being able to perform its statutory functions." The commission was chaired from 2003–09 by judge Seán Ryan.
Laffoy was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ireland in July 2013.[1]
In July 2016 she was appointed by Taoiseach Enda Kenny to chair the Citizens Assembly.
She retired on 16 June 2017.[5]
References
- 1 2 "Two new Supreme Court judges announced". RTÉ News. 25 July 2013.
- ↑ "Two new judges for the Supreme Court". MerrionStreet.ie. 25 July 2013.
- ↑ "Two judges nominated for the Supreme Court". TheJournal.ie. 25 July 2013.
- ↑ Arnold, Bruce. The Irish Gulag, Gill and Macmillan, Dublin 2009. Chapters 9 & 10. ISBN 978-0-7171-4614-7
- ↑ "Tributes paid to 'immense' contribution of Ms Justice Mary Laffoy". Irish Times. 16 June 2017.