Seán Ryan (Irish judge)

The Hon. Mr Justice
Sean Ryan
President of the Court of Appeal
In office
28 October 2014  March 2018
Nominated by Government of Ireland
Appointed by Michael D. Higgins
Preceded by Office created
Succeeded by George Birmingham
Judge of the High Court
In office
24 November 1996  28 October 2014
Nominated by Government of Ireland
Appointed by Mary Robinson
Personal details
Born Seán Philp Ryan
Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland
Nationality Irish
Spouse(s) Andrea Hayes (m. 1994)
Children 3
Alma mater

Sean Philp Ryan is an Irish judge who served as President of the Court of Appeal until March 2018. He previously served as a Judge of the High Court from 2003 to 2014.[1]

As a barrister, he was Senior Counsel to the inquiry into abuse in the Catholic diocese of Ferns (the Ferns Report),[2] 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.[3]

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,[4] who claimed her work had been systematically obstructed by the Department of Education.[3] The government appointed him a High Court judge, without seeking a recommendation from the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board,[5] "to guarantee that the integrity and independence of the chairperson will be maintained."[2]

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"[6] and praised for its "meticulous gathering of evidence",[7] though "Justice has not been done as many of the abusers will never face the rigours of the law."[8]

In 2014 he was named by the Government as the President designate of the new Court of Appeal.[9] He was nominated as President of the court by the Government on 29 October 2014 [10] and appointed by the President of Ireland on the same day.[11]

References

  1. "Retirement of Ryan report judge an 'enormous loss'". Dublin: Irish Times. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 "One in Four welcomes Ryan's appointment". RTÉ. 26 September 2003. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Laffoy inquiry faces threat of second collapse". The Sunday Business Post. 19 October 2003. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  4. "Laffoy quits Child Abuse Commission". RTÉ. 2 September 2003. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  5. "Judicial Appointments Advisory Board: Annual Report 2003" (PDF). Irish Courts Service. p. 13. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  6. "Report a monument to a society's shame". Irish Times. 21 May 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  7. Bunting, Madeleine (21 May 2009). "An abuse too far by the Catholic church". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  8. "Child abuse scandal was Ireland's nightmare from hell". The Belfast Telegraph. 23 May 2009. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  9. Announcement of six Judges Designate of the Court of Appeal. merrionstreet.ie (23 July 2014)
  10. "Appointments to the Court of Appeal". MerrionStreet.ie. 29 October 2014.
  11. "President appoints Appeal Court Judges". Áras an Uachtaráin. 28 October 2014. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014.



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