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Susan Denham to become Ireland’s first female Chief Justice

The Honourable Justice Susan Denham, the longest-serving member of the Supreme Court, will be its next president.

THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE Susan Gageby Denham is to become Ireland’s next Chief Justice. She will be Ireland’s eleventh chief justice, and the first woman ever to hold the position.

The government decided upon the appointment at cabinet this morning. She is now to be officially appointed by the President, Mary McAleese.

Justice Denham will serve as Chief Justice until 2017, when she will reach the mandatory age for retirement from the Supreme Court.

A graduate of Trinity College Dublin – of which she is a Pro-Chancellor – and of Columbia University in New York, Denham was called to the bar in 1971 and was involved in many high-profile cases as both as junior and senior counsel.

She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1992, the first woman to be appointed to the bench. She had been appointed to the High Court just a year earlier.

During her tenure she has been instrumental in reforms that led to the establishment of the Courts Service, and has chaired working groups on a Courts Commission and on a Court of Appeal.

She succeeds the Honourable Justice John Murray, whose seven-year term is concluding. Murray will remain a justice of the Supreme Court.

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16 Comments
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    Mute patrickbaxter
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    Jul 19th 2011, 5:52 PM

    Excellent choice! Clear, concise and logical judgments delivered since her appointment to the SC.

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    Mute Toureag
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    Jul 19th 2011, 7:59 PM

    Never heard of her…….but wish her a good luck in most difficult job in Ireland!

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    Mute Dvonne
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    Jul 19th 2011, 11:46 PM

    It’s The Honourable Mrs. Justice Susan Denham or Mrs. Justice Susan Denham
    Gavan. You’ve her called all sorts in this article.

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    Mute Gavan Reilly
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    Jul 20th 2011, 12:10 AM

    Dvonne – Perhaps you haven’t noticed but we don’t insert honorific Mr/Mrs titles anywhere on the site, and that policy extends to the judiciary. The only exceptions are when referring to doctors in a professional context, when they are Dr on the first stance and then referred to by their surnames thereafter.

    Also, I haven’t called her ‘all sorts’, I’ve called her two things. The Honourable Justice Susan Gageby Denham, and Justice Denham. Both of which are entirely in line with our house style.

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    Mute Dvonne
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    Jul 20th 2011, 1:35 AM

    Right…

    On the app for iPhone I can see the following below the headline:

    “The Honourable Justice Mrs Susan Denham, the longest- serving member of the Supreme Court, will be its next president.”

    You’ve called her three things. And what was that about honorific Mr/ Mrs titles?

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    Mute Stewart Curry
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    Jul 19th 2011, 5:43 PM

    That can’t be her real name surely?

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    Mute Gerry b
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    Jul 19th 2011, 7:29 PM

    Beats curry

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    Mute Stewart Curry
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    Jul 19th 2011, 8:19 PM

    Sue Denham – Pseudonym…

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    Mute Gerry b
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    Jul 19th 2011, 8:30 PM

    Touché

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    Mute fitszpatrick
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    Jul 19th 2011, 11:36 PM

    It is. And dont call her Shirley

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    Mute David Hopkins
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    Jul 19th 2011, 9:45 PM

    Read any of her judgements, they’re slightly mental. I am delighted with the choice of a female but wrong one for me.

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    Mute Mary Bibby
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    Jul 20th 2011, 7:57 AM

    i wish her well

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    Mute Mata Mata
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    Jul 20th 2011, 9:07 AM

    Will she take a pay / pension cut and show leadership !

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    Mute John McGuirk
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    Jul 20th 2011, 9:31 AM

    Doesn’t matter. We don’t need a Dail now so she’ll save us lots of money. Justice Denham’s one of those judges who thinks the law around any issue is less important than what she thinks it should be. The most left wing activist judge on the court. The wrong woman for the job.

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    Mute Aidan McArdle
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    Jul 20th 2011, 9:24 PM

    Really John… You’re way too obsessed with the right vs left nonsense.

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