THE MINISTER for Justice has led tributes to Mr Justice Kevin Haugh, chairman of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, who has died suddenly, aged 64.
Dermot Ahern expressed his condolences to his family and friends and said: “He was a jurist who was held in high esteem by his peers, not simply for his learning and high professional standards, but for his warm personality and good humour.”
Mr Justice Haugh was appointed as the first chairman of the commission in February 2006 and it started work in May 2007.
He was born in Dublin, the second of six children of the Supreme Court judge, Mr Justice Kevin Haugh, and his wife Brenda.
He was educated at Castleknock College, UCD and King’s Inns and was called to the bar in 1966. He became a senior counsel in 1983 and was elected a bencher of the King’s Inns in 1994.
While a barrister he was involved in a number of high-profile criminal cases, but he also had a large personal injuries practice. He was appointed a judge of the Circuit Court in 1996 and served on the Special Criminal Court.
In March 1998, he was nominated to the Administrative Tribunal of the United Nations. The following year, in a vote by the General Assembly, Judge Haugh topped the poll by a huge margin. This led to two four-year terms based in New York and Geneva which he recently completed.
On the Circuit Court he was involved in a number of high-profile court cases including those involving former taoiseach Charles J Haughey and the McCracken tribunal.
On October 4th, 2005, the Cabinet nominated Justice Haugh for appointment to the High Court prior to his appointment to the Garda commission. He was due to step down at the end of next month and return to the High Court, where he was widely expected to sit in the Central Criminal Court.
The commission said: “He oversaw the setting up of our office and ensured that the operation of the commission and oversight of policing in our society was established on a professional, independent, accountable footing. He took great care to ensure compliance with the law. The staff of the commission is proud to have had him as chairman and is saddened by his death.”
The Irish Human Rights Commisison also expressed its sadness. Its president, Dr Maurice Manning, said: “He contributed immensely to the establishment and development of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and brought to his task great qualities of judgment and integrity.”