. THE chairwoman of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, Judge Catherine McGuinness, is to be appointed to the High Court. Originally from Belfast, Judge McGuinness is a former member of the Seanad.
Educated at Trinity College Dublin and the King's Inns, she was called to the Bar in 1977 and the Inner Bar in 1989.
Before becoming a barrister she was a writer, teacher and parliamentary officer for the Labour Party.
She is married to the journalist, Proinsias MacAonghusa, and has three children.
. MR Thomas C Smyth SC, who is to be appointed a judge of the High Court, works primarily on planning and local government cases and has been involved in controversies including Wood Quay and the OPW interpretative centres. Originally from Carlow, Mr Smyth (58) was educated in Limerick, University College Dublin and the King's Inns. He qualified as a solicitor in 1963 and was assistant secretary to the Incorporated Law Society for five years until called to the Bar in 1968 and the Inner Bar in 1977.
He is married with four children.