Tara Burns Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Hon. Ms. Justice
Tara Burns
Office:Judge of the Court of Appeal
Term Start:4 July 2023
Nominator:Government of Ireland
Appointer:Michael D. Higgins
Office1:Judge of the High Court
Term Start1:28 June 2018
Term End1:4 July 2023
Nominator1:Government of Ireland
Appointer1:Michael D. Higgins
Birth Place:Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Nationality:Irish
Education:Mercy College, Sligo

Tara Burns is an Irish judge who has served as a Judge of the Court of Appeal since July 2023. She previously served as a Judge of the High Court from 2018 to 2023. She was the Chairperson of the Referendum Commission for a 2019 referendum on divorce.

She formerly practiced as a barrister specialising in criminal law and has continued to focus on criminal trials while serving on the bench.

Early life

Burns was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, but grew up in Sligo, Ireland. She attended Mercy College, Sligo.[1] She obtained a BCL from University College Dublin in 1993.[2]

Legal career

Burns was a barrister from 1995 and became a senior counsel in 2013. She frequently appeared in criminal cases for both defendants and the Director of Public Prosecutions.[3] [4] She appeared on behalf of the Garda Commissioner at the Morris Tribunal in 2002 and represented Superintendent Dave Taylor at the Disclosures Tribunal.[5] [6] She also often practised on the Midland and Northern Circuits.

Judicial career

High Court

Burns was appointed a judge of the High Court on 28 June 2018.[7] She has heard cases involving sexual offences[8] and homicide.[9]

In November 2018, she was assigned to the Special Criminal Court.[10] She was the judge in charge of the Asylum List of the High Court in 2020.[11]

Referendum Commission

She was appointed chairperson of the Referendum Commission in February 2019 for the May 2019 referendum to amend the Constitution.[12] Burns attended events around Ireland to promote voter participation in the referendum, including a ceremony to confer Irish citizenship on 2,500 people.[13] [14] The Commission spent €2.34 million. Burns endorsed the idea of having a permanent electoral commission and modernising the voter registration system.[15]

Court of Appeal

She was nominated for appointment to the Court of Appeal in May 2023.[16] She was appointed in July 2023.[17]

Notes and References

  1. News: Sligo native to be High Court Judge . 12 May 2019 . The Sligo Champion . 16 June 2018 . 12 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190512172550/https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/news/sligo-native-to-be-high-court-judge-36986433.html . live .
  2. Web site: Alumni appointed to High Court and Court of Appeal . UCD School of Law . 12 May 2019.
  3. News: Giblin . Ruaidhrí . Man who sexually abused his sister "in excess of a couple of hundred times" fails to have sentence reduced . 13 May 2019 . TheJournal.ie . 6 October 2016.
  4. News: Reid . Natasha . Prosecutor: Scully broke all rules by giving daughter too much sedative . 13 May 2019 . Irish Examiner . 14 December 2016 . 13 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190513110429/https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/prosecutor-scully-broke-all-rules-by-giving-daughter-too-much-sedative-435086.html . live .
  5. Web site: Representation . The Morris Tribunal . 12 May 2019 . 14 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171114110033/http://morristribunal.ie/Home.asp-ObjectID%3D310%26Mode%3D0%26RecordID%3D74.htm . live .
  6. News: Well known Barrister in local Courts is nominated as High Court Judge . 12 May 2019 . Northern Sound . 7 June 2018 . 12 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190512172551/https://www.northernsound.ie/well-known-barrister-local-courts-nominated-high-court-judge/ . live .
  7. Web site: President appoints new Judges . President of Ireland . 12 May 2019 . 12 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190512172546/https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-appoints-ms-justice-marie-baker-and-mr-justice-brian-j.-mcgovern . live .
  8. News: 'True predator' jailed for seven years for 30 counts of sexual abuse of four girls . 27 June 2020 . Breaking News . 11 June 2020 . 28 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200628195555/https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/true-predatorjailed-for-seven-years-for-30-counts-of-sexual-abuse-of-four-girls-1004704.html . live .
  9. News: Reid . Natasha . Meat factory worker jailed for nine years for killing housemate with boning knife . 4 October 2020 . The Irish Times . 25 July 2019 . en . 7 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201107235820/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/criminal-court/meat-factory-worker-jailed-for-nine-years-for-killing-housemate-with-boning-knife-1.3967249 . live .
  10. Web site: Government shuffles judges . Law Society . 12 May 2019 . 7 November 2018 . 12 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190512172552/https://www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/Top-Stories/judges-shuffled-by-government/ . live .
  11. 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 .
  12. Web site: Minister Murphy announces establishment of Referendum Commission . . 12 May 2019 . 12 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190512165051/https://www.housing.gov.ie/local-government/voting/referendum-commission/minister-murphy-announces-establishment-referendum-0 . live .
  13. News: Referendum Commission Chairperson launches campaign in Donegal . 13 May 2019 . Donegal Now . 11 April 2019 . 13 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190513110440/https://www.donegalnow.com/news/referendum-commission-chairperson-launches-campaign-donegal/274653 . live .
  14. News: Lucey . Anne . New Irish citizens urged to vote in upcoming referendum . 13 May 2019 . The Irish Times . 29 April 2019 . 29 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190429193155/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/new-irish-citizens-urged-to-vote-in-upcoming-referendum-1.3875415 . live .
  15. Web site: Report on the Referendum Campaign . Refcom . 27 June 2020 . 27 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200627010344/https://www.refcom.ie/previous-referendums/regulation-of-divorce/Refcom-report-on-the-referendum-on-the-regulation-of-divorce.pdf . live .
  16. News: Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly set for Supreme Court . 26 May 2023 . www.lawsociety.ie.
  17. Web site: Diary President Appoints Judges To The Court Of Appeal 4 7 2023 . president.ie . 13 July 2023 . en.

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