Paul Coffey (judge) explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Hon. Mr. Justice
Paul Coffey
Office:Judge of the High Court
Term Start:13 September 2016
Nominator:Government of Ireland
Appointer:Michael D. Higgins
Nationality:Irish

Paul Coffey is an Irish judge and lawyer who has served as a Judge of the High Court since September 2016. He has been predominantly involved in criminal trials as a judge and formerly as a barrister. He was the chair of an examination into the Stardust fire between 2008 and 2009.

Education

He was educated at University College Dublin. He received a BCL degree in 1981 and an LL.M. degree in 1983.[1] He received further education at the King's Inns and Middle Temple.[2]

Legal career

He was called to the Bar in 1984 and became a senior counsel in 2002. His practice was focused on criminal law and civil law, with experience in the law of personal injuries, medical negligence, planning law, Constitutional law, chancery and judicial review.

His criminal law work included working on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions as a prosecutor and on behalf for defendants.[3] [4] He represented the Minister for the Environment in 2003 in a challenge by Kathy Sinnott against the result of the 2002 Irish general election.[5]

On 10 July 2008, he was appointed to chair to an examination into the cause of the Stardust fire.[6] His investigation found that the Stardust Victims' Committee had not established any new evidence which could change the conclusion as to how the fire was started. He concluded that he did not believe that public interest would be served by establishing a further inquiry.[7] The Government accepted his recommendation.[8] His draft report however recommended the establishment of an independent inquiry.[9] A further examination by Pat McCartan in 2017 also did not recommend a full inquiry.[10]

Judicial career

Coffey was appointed to the High Court in September 2016.[11] He has presided over criminal trials involving serious sexual offences and homicide.[12] [13] He has been the presiding judge in cases in the Special Criminal Court involving dissident republicans and the Hutch–Kinahan feud.[14] [15]

Other than criminal trials, he has heard cases involving Garda compensation,[16] defamation,[17] insolvency,[18] and company law.[19]

As of 2021, he is the judge in charge of the Personal Injuries List of the High Court.[20]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Congratulations to Úna Ní Raifeartaigh SC (BCL '88) Paul Coffey SC (BCL '81 LLM '83), soon to be High Court judges. . Twitter . UCD School of Law . 5 July 2020.
  2. Web site: Appointments to the Court of Appeal and the High Court . merrionstreet.ie . 5 July 2020 . en . 2 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201002230548/https://merrionstreet.ie/en/News-Room/Releases/Appointments_to_the_Court_of_Appeal_and_the_High_Court.html . live .
  3. News: Man admits Dublin manslaughter . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en.
  4. News: Offaly electrician sentenced to four years for pub assault . 5 July 2020 . Breaking News . 30 April 2010 . 5 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200705213840/https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/offaly-electrician-sentenced-to-four-years-for-pub-assault-455952.html . live .
  5. News: Carolan . Mary . Martin will not seek legal costs from Sinnott . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en.
  6. Web site: Stardust Fire Tragedy: Motion. – Dáil Éireann (30th Dáil) – Tuesday, 3 Feb 2009 – Houses of the Oireachtas . www.oireachtas.ie . 5 July 2020 . en-ie . 3 February 2009 . 5 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200705135901/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2009-02-03/23/ . live .
  7. News: Stardust families lose inquiry fight . 5 July 2020 . www.irishexaminer.com . 23 January 2009 . en . 5 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200705135857/https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/stardust-families-lose-inquiry-fight-396052.html . live .
  8. News: Government statement on Stardust report . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en.
  9. News: Holland . Kitty . Stardust tragedy: Families claim review of fire 'neutered' . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en . 3 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200803154719/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/stardust-tragedy-families-claim-review-of-fire-neutered-1.2953468 . live .
  10. News: Finn . Christina . 'No new inquiry warranted': Stardust report finds cause of fire may never be known . 5 July 2020 . TheJournal.ie . en . 5 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191105201241/https://www.thejournal.ie/stardust-report-3684509-Nov2017/ . live .
  11. Web site: Diary President Appoints The Hon. Mr. Justice John Edward Hedigan As Judge To The . president.ie . 5 July 2020 . en . 20 May 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200520225742/https://www.president.ie/en/diary/details/president-appoints-the-hon.-mr.-justice-john-edward-hedigan-as-judge-to-the . live .
  12. News: Hayes . Isabel . Man found guilty of raping his former partner . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en . 12 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201112015233/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/criminal-court/man-found-guilty-of-raping-his-former-partner-1.2983984 . live .
  13. News: O’Riordan . Alison . Man alleged to have stabbed ex-partner after 'relationship turned sour' . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en . 7 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200707224417/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/man-alleged-to-have-stabbed-ex-partner-after-relationship-turned-sour-1.2993770 . live .
  14. News: O'Riordan . Alison . New IRA leader jailed for life over murder of dissident republican . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en . 8 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201108001627/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/new-ira-leader-jailed-for-life-over-murder-of-dissident-republican-1.3786749 . live .
  15. News: O'Riordan . Alison . Five men in court charged over murder attempt on Patsy Hutch . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en . 6 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191206171916/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/five-men-in-court-charged-over-murder-attempt-on-patsy-hutch-1.4105641 . live .
  16. News: Managh . Ray . Garda goalkeeper awarded €20,000 after injury during handcuffing . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en . 9 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201109030904/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/garda-goalkeeper-awarded-20-000-after-injury-during-handcuffing-1.3364781 . live .
  17. News: Carolan . Mary . Man loses appeal over Luas defamation damages claim . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en . 7 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200707224414/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/man-loses-appeal-over-luas-defamation-damages-claim-1.3399119 . live .
  18. News: O'Faolain . Aodhan . Managh . Ray . Liquidators appointed as Debenhams shuts down Irish stores . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en . 15 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210115160432/https://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/liquidators-appointed-as-debenhams-shuts-down-irish-stores-1.4230481 . live .
  19. News: Paul . Mark . Leslie Buckley made defendant in data hack case against INM . 5 July 2020 . The Irish Times . en . 24 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200424195714/https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/leslie-buckley-made-defendant-in-data-hack-case-against-inm-1.4230778 . live .
  20. Web site: High Court - Assignment of Judges – Michaelmas Term 2021 The Courts Service of Ireland . www.courts.ie.

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