Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, who has just been appointed to the Supreme Court, was described by one senior counsel as a very diligent worker, who earned his promotion by his hard work.
He was appointed to the High Court in 1998, on the same day as Mr Cyril Kelly, who later resigned as a result of the Philip Sheedy controversy.
Born in 1946, he attended St Mary's College, Rathmines, and then UCD and the King's Inns.
He was called to the Bar in 1968, and to the English Bar in 1980. He became a senior counsel in 1982 and had a big personal injuries practice before being appointed a judge.
He was given responsibility for competition law in the High Court and was a co-founder of the Association of European Competition Law Judges. He also did defamation cases, judicial reviews, personal injuries and probate cases. He served as an alternate judge on the European Court of Human Rights in 2000.
He presided over the challenge to the 2002 Electoral Amendment Act, which introduced new conditions for non-party candidates in elections.
He is married to Eleanor, and they have four sons. He has been associated with the Progressive Democrats.