Michael White (judge) explained

Michael White
Office:Judge of the High Court
Term Start:24 October 2011
Term End:1 October 2021
Nominator:Government of Ireland
Appointer:Mary McAleese
Office1:Judge of the Circuit Court
Term Start1:21 April 1996
Term End1:24 October 2011
Nominator1:Government of Ireland
Appointer1:Mary Robinson
Birth Place:Carndonagh, County Donegal, Ireland
Nationality:Irish
Spouse:Maud McKee
Children:4

Michael White (born 1953[1]) is a retired Irish judge who served as a Judge of the High Court from 2011 to 2021 and a Judge of the Circuit Court from 1996 to 2011.

Early life

White was born in Carndonagh, County Donegal, 1953. His father Michael was a solicitor. He attended St Patrick's Boys' National School, Carndonagh Boys Secondary School and Gormanston College.[2] He graduated with a degree in law from University College Dublin in 1973. He engaged in socialist activism during his time in university and joined the Workers' Party.[3]

Legal and political career

He qualified as a solicitor in 1975. He contested three general elections and one by-election in the Dublin Central constituency between 1981 and 1983 for the Workers' Party.[4]

He set up a law firm with Pat McCartan and Paula Scully in 1976, before setting up his own practice in 1987. He later specialised in family law and labour law. He represented future Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore in a land dispute during his career as a solicitor.

Judicial career

He was appointed to the Circuit Court in 1996, one of the first three solicitors to be appointed to judicial office. In the Circuit Court, he sentenced George Redmond following findings by the Flood Tribunal. He presided over the trial surrounding the death of Brian Murphy, which influenced the fictional novel Bad Day in Blackrock and its film adaptation What Richard Did.[5]

He was appointed to the High Court through application to the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board in October 2011.[6] He is the chair of the Hammond Lane Project Board for the development of a new courthouse in Dublin.[7] He publicly criticised the procedures and administration of the Irish family law courts in 2018.[8]

White was the judge in Charge of the Central Criminal Court.[9] [10]

In February 2021, he was appointed as the inaugural chairperson of the Parole Board and in June 2021 and took over as the chairperson of a Commission of Investigation into allegations of sexual abuse made against Bill Kenneally.[11] [12]

He retired as a High Court judge on 1 October 2021.[13] [14]

Personal life

White lives in Dublin. He married Maud McKee in 1982, a doctor originally from Portballintrae, with whom he had four sons. Dr. McKee died in 2014.[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Appointments to the High Court . Irish Government News Service . 16 May 2019 . 11 October 2011 . 16 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190516195520/https://merrionstreet.ie/en/News-Room/News/appointments-to-the-high-court.html . live .
  2. News: Carndonagh man appointed to High Court . 16 May 2019 . Inishowen News . 27 October 2011 . 12 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131012004744/http://www.inishowennews.com/011MichaelWhite478.htm . live .
  3. News: Coulter . Carol . The judge who will decide fate of 'former Blackrock students' . 16 May 2019 . . 8 March 2004 . 23 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210923040358/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/the-judge-who-will-decide-fate-of-former-blackrock-students-1.1134471 . live .
  4. News: Kelly . Fiach . Lawyer with links to Gilmore gets top judge job . 16 May 2019 . . 13 October 2011 . 16 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190516195516/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/lawyer-with-links-to-gilmore-gets-top-judge-job-26781446.html . live .
  5. News: Movie based on Annabel's killing is sold across world . 2 May 2021 . The Herald . en . 2 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210502103742/https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/news/movie-based-on-annabels-killing-is-sold-across-world-28850802.html . live .
  6. Web site: Judicial Appointments Advisory Board Annual Report 2011 . JAAB . 16 May 2019 . 28 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180728164038/http://www.jaab.ie/en/JAAB/Annual%20Report%202011.pdf/Files/Annual%20Report%202011.pdf . live .
  7. Web site: Address by the Tánaiste at the Presentation of the Courts Service Annual Report 2015 . Department of Justice and Equality . 16 May 2019 . 16 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190516195519/http://justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/SP16000190 . live .
  8. News: Phelan . Shane . Family law courts 'too adversarial', says judge . 16 May 2019 . . 28 September 2018 . 16 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190516195518/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/family-law-courts-too-adversarial-says-judge-37362750.html . live .
  9. Web site: General Notices: 12 February 2020 - HC Judges Hilary '20 . Courts.ie . 20 February 2020 . 18 February 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200218094001/http://legaldiary.courts.ie/legaldiary.nsf/general-notices/3ac2b7ee81befa0c8025850c00438620?OpenDocument . live .
  10. Web site: Notice - High Court Michaelmas Term - Assignment of Judges . Courts Service . 14 October 2020 . 13 October 2020 . 23 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210923032909/https://www.courts.ie/news/notice-high-court-michaelmas-term-assignment-judges . live .
  11. Web site: Minister McEntee welcomes the nomination of Mr Justice Michael White as Chairperson of the Parole Board . www.gov.ie . 24 February 2021 . 11 November 2021 . en.
  12. Web site: Appointment of Mr Justice Michael White to the Commission of Investigation (Response to complaints or allegations of child sexual abuse made against Bill Kenneally and related matters) . Justice . 9 June 2021 . 11 November 2021.
  13. Web site: Appointments to the High Court. 2021-12-01. www.gov.ie. 30 November 2021 . en.
  14. News: Carolan. Mary. Frustration mounts over court delays as more judges sought. en. The Irish Times. 11 November 2021.
  15. News: Caring physician and pioneering feminist . 16 May 2019 . Irish Medical Times . 12 January 2015 . 16 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190516195519/https://www.imt.ie/features-opinion/caring-physician-pioneering-feminist-12-01-2015/ . live .