| Honorific-Prefix: | The Right Honourable |
| Dame Siobhan Keegan | |
| Office: | Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland[1] [2] |
| Term Start: | 2 September 2021 |
| Predecessor: | Sir Declan Morgan |
| Birth Date: | 6 June 1971 |
| Citizenship: | United Kingdom |
| Nominator: | Boris Johnson |
| Appointer: | Elizabeth II |
| Residence: | Northern Ireland |
| Education: | Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland |
| Alma Mater: | Queen's University Belfast |
| Occupation: | Jurist |
| Profession: | Law |
| Awards: | QC (2006) DBE (2015) |
Dame Siobhan Roisin Keegan (born 6 June 1971) is a Northern Irish judge who has been Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland[3] [4] (styled Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland) since September 2021.[5] She was formerly a judge of the High Court of Northern Ireland from October 2015 until her appointment as Lord Chief Justice, prior to which, she practised as a barrister specialising in family law.
Keegan was educated at St. Clare's Primary School and Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland.[6] [7]
She studied law at Queen's University Belfast and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in July 1993. After further study, she was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in September 1994.[7]
Keegan became a barrister when she was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in September 1994.[7] She specialised in family law but has also had experience in criminal law and judicial review.[6]
She was made a Queen's Counsel (QC) in June 2006.[7] Between 2011 and 2013, she served as Chair of the Family Bar Association.[7] In 2014, she was elected Vice Chair of the Bar Council of Northern Ireland.[8]
For each of the financial years from 2013 to 2015, Keegan was the fourth-highest-earning barrister in Northern Ireland in terms of legal aid, having received £504,177 in 2012/2013,[9] £513,405 in 2013/2014,[10] and £427,632 in 2014/2015.[11]
On 23 October 2015, Keegan was appointed a judge of the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland.[6] [12] She was sworn into office by Sir Declan Morgan, the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, at the same time as Denise McBride.[13] This made Keegan and McBride jointly the first female high court judges of Northern Ireland.[6] [8]
On 23 November 2015, she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).[14]
On 16 June 2021, Keegan was nominated to be Northern Ireland's first female Lord Chief Justice.[15] [16] She was sworn in as Lord Chief Justice[3] [4] at a ceremony on 2 September 2021.[5]
On 29 September 2021, Keegan became a member of the Privy Council.[17]