THE inclusion of three solicitors among the nine Circuit Court judges appointed this week has been welcomed by the director general of the Law Society, Mr Ken Murphy.
It was a breakthrough for which solicitors had been campaigning for decades, he said. It was a good day for solicitors and, more importantly, for the administration of justice.
But, Mr Murphy added, solicitors felt "a twinge of disappointment" that only three of the nine appointments had been allocated to them. They represented over 80 per cent of the legal profession and the Government could have made most of the appointments from their ranks, both on merit and to redress the historic imbalance.
The remaining prohibition on the direct appointment of solicitors as judges of the High and, Supreme Courts was "a relic of history which continues to operate against the public interest" he said.
The three solicitors appointed as Circuit Court judges are Mr Michael White (42), of Chapelizod, Dublin, who was a "partner in a firm in Carndonagh, Co Donegal, before establishing a practice in Dublin with Mr Pat McCartan and Ms Paula Scully. He has been a practising solicitor for 20 years. He attended secondary school in Cos Donegal and Meath and took a law degree from UCD in 1973. He's married with four sons.
Mr Frank O'Donnell (55), a native of Donegal, who attended secondary school in Castleknock, Dublin, qualified as a solicitor in 1964 and took a Master of Laws degree at Harvard Law School. He practised in Dublin, where he lives. He is married with five children.
Mr John F. Buckley (64), a native of Dublin, attended secondary school in Synge Street, Dublin, and qualified as a solicitor in 1956. He practised in Dublin and has been chairman of the National House Building Scheme Appeal Tribunal. He has also acted as arbitrator on the nomination of the Law Society in several disputes. He is a former chairman of the International Bar Association. He is married with three children.
The six barristers appointed to the Circuit Court are Ms Elizabeth Duane, Sandymount, Dublin, who was educated in Dublin and called to the bar in 1977. She has practised in, common law, chancery, commercial and family law, defamation and banking.
Ms Alison Lindsay (43) was called to the bar in 1975 and has practised on the midlands and western circuits. She was vice chairman of the Employment Appeals Tribunal for four years until 1989. Married with four children, she has been closely associated with L'Arche, the organisation which caters for mentally handicapped adults.
Mr Kevin Haugh (52), a native of Dublin, was called to Bar in 1966. He practised in south east and Dublin. He took silk in 1983 and has mainly in common law fl, including the Criminal Court, where been identified with some noted trials. Hot air ballooning until recently among his hobbies.
Mr Raymond Groarke attended secondary school Longford and Dublin and was to the Bar in 1973. He in the midlands. His interests include the hospice movement. He is a past chairman and current president of Athlone District Round Table.
Ms Olive Buttimer (50) attended secondary school in Dublin and took degrees in philosophy and social studies before studying law at the Kings Inns. She worked as a probation officer in England and as a social worker in the Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum. She has practised on the midlands circuit and Dublin.
Mr Anthony Kennedy SC (54), of Ardilea, Dublin, was called to the Bar in 1968 and took silk in 1982.
. Mr Diarmuid O'Donovan SC (59), who was appointed a High Court judge, attended secondary school in Dublin and was called to the Bar in 1959. He has lectured in legal studies at the College of Retail Distribution. He is married with three children.