Aileen Donnelly Explained

Honorific Prefix:The Hon. Ms. Justice
Office:Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland
Term Start:2 June 2023
Nominator:Government of Ireland
Appointer:Michael D. Higgins
Office1:Judge of the Court of Appeal
Term Start1:17 June 2019
Term End1:2 June 2023
Nominator1:Government of Ireland
Appointer1:Michael D. Higgins
Office2:Judge of the High Court
Term Start2:22 September 2014
Term End2:17 June 2019
Nominator2:Government of Ireland
Appointer2:Michael D. Higgins
Nationality:Irish

Aileen Donnelly is an Irish judge who has served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland since June 2023. She previously served as a Judge of the Court of the Appeal from 2019 to 2023 and a Judge of the High Court from 2014 to 2019.

Legal career

Donnelly attended University College Dublin, where she obtained a BCL degree in 1986 and a master's degree in equality studies in 1995.[1] She also attended the King's Inns.[2] In 1988, she was called to the Bar. Between 1996 and 2002, she was a board member and co-chair of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL). She was counsel for a complainant in the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse.[3] In 2004, she was called to the Inner Bar. She has published legal texts on tax law, the law of the European Convention on Human Rights and gender and law.

Judicial career

High Court

She was appointed a Judge of the High Court in September 2014.[4] She was in charge of High Court extradition cases.[5] Donnelly postponed an order of extradition for a man to Poland in 2018, as a result of the 2015 Polish Constitutional Court crisis. She referred the issue to the Court of Justice of the European Union. Her subsequent decision did not find that there was a specific threat to the accused man's rights to a fair trial. Donnelly's preliminary decision received substantial personal criticism from some Polish media publications, leading to Association of Judges of Ireland and the European Association of Judges writing statements of support for the judge.[6]

Court of Appeal

Donnelly became a Judge of the Court of Appeal in June 2019.[7] Her appointment followed the elevation of Mary Irvine to the Supreme Court of Ireland.[8]

Supreme Court

The Irish Government nominated Donnelly for appointment to the Supreme Court of Ireland in May 2023.[9] She was appointed in June 2023.[10]

Personal life

She is the first openly gay member of the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.[11] [12] She is married to Susan Miner.[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Reflections on being a woman . Twitter . UCD School of Law . 13 December 2021 . 13 December 2021.
  2. Web site: Appointments to the High Court . Irish Government News Service . 20 June 2019 . 17 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190517123832/https://merrionstreet.ie/en/News-Room/Releases/appointments-to-the-high-court-4.html . live .
  3. Web site: Third Interim Report . Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse . 20 June 2019 . 2 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191102173342/http://www.childabusecommission.ie/publications/documents/abuse.htm . live .
  4. Web site: President Appoints High Court Judges . President of Ireland . 20 June 2019 . 20 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190620225623/https://www.president.ie/en/news/article/president-appoints-high-court-judges . live .
  5. News: Court orders surrender of man to Poland despite judicial independence issues . 20 June 2019 . RTÉ News . 19 November 2018 . 20 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190620225617/https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2018/1119/1011869-poland/ . live .
  6. News: Judges criticise personalised attacks from Polish media . 20 June 2019 . RTÉ News . 20 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190620225621/https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2018/0315/947629-judges/ . live .
  7. Web site: President appoints Judge Aileen Donnelly to the Court of Appeal . President of Ireland . 20 June 2019 . 20 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190620225618/https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-appoints-judge-aileen-donnelly-to-the-court-of-appeal . live .
  8. News: Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly nominated for appointment to Court of Appeal . 20 June 2019 . Irish Legal News . 12 June 2019 . 20 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190620225619/https://www.irishlegal.com/article/ms-justice-aileen-donnelly-nominated-for-appointment-to-court-of-appeal . live .
  9. News: Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly set for Supreme Court . 26 May 2023 . www.lawsociety.ie.
  10. Web site: Diary President Appoints Justice Aileen Donnelly S.c To The Supreme Court . president.ie . 4 June 2023 . en.
  11. News: Brian. O'Reilly. Cliona. Foley. Judge first openly gay serving member of High Court. Irish Independent. 21 January 2015. 30 May 2015. 31 May 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150531033651/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/judge-first-openly-gay-serving-member-of-high-court-30924589.html. live.
  12. News: Three judges nominated for appointment to Supreme Court and Court of Appeal . 26 May 2023 . The Irish Times . en.
  13. News: Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly sworn in to Court of Appeal . 20 June 2019 . Irish Legal News . 20 June 2019 . 20 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190620225619/https://irishlegal.com/article/ms-justice-aileen-donnelly-sworn-in-to-court-of-appeal . live .

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