| Honorific prefix | The Hon. Mr. Justice |
|---|---|
| Office | Judge of the High Court |
| Term start | 6 December 2021 |
| Nominator | Government of Ireland |
| Appointer | Michael D. Higgins |
| Alma mater |
Conor Dignam is an Irish judge and lawyer who has served as a Judge of the High Court since December 2021. He was formerly a barrister.
Early life
Dignam studied political science at Trinity College Dublin, graduating in 1992. He subsequently obtained a diploma in legal studies and trained to be a barrister at the King's Inns.[1]
Legal career
He was called to the Bar in 1996 and became a senior counsel in 2011.[1] He practiced in the area of public law, with specialisations in child and health law.[2]
The Health Service Executive appointed Dignam and Siobhán Phelan to represent interests of an unborn child in PP v. HSE in 2014.[3] He acted for the Garda Síochána, Nóirín O'Sullivan and Martin Callinan at the Disclosures Tribunal.[4]
He chaired an inquiry into the Leas Cross scandal in 2010 and was commissioned to write an investigative report arising out of the 'Grace' case.[5][6]
Outside of practice, he was appointed a board member of Community Law & Mediation in 2020 and was the vice chair of the Bar Council of Ireland.[2] He served as chair of the Bar Council's human rights committee and was a Bar Council representative on the Superior Courts Rules Committee.[7][8]
Judicial career
Dignam was one of three people nominated by the government in November 2021 to be appointed judges of the High Court.[9] He was appointed on 6 December 2021.[10]
References
- ^ "Appointments to the High Court". www.gov.ie. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ "Two new board members at CLM". www.lawsociety.ie. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ Baker, Noel & Managh, Ray (23 December 2014). "Unborn baby gets barrister for court battle". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ Keena, Colm. "Charleton chairman grants representation in Garda inquiry". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ "Leas Cross was not suitable for McKenna". RTÉ News. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ Hegarty, Aoife (1 November 2016). "Dignam Report Critical of the HSE". RTÉ News. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (16 January 2019). "Opening". Joint Committee on Justice and Equality debate. Oireachtas.ie. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ "Superior Courts Rules Committee | The Courts Service of Ireland". courts.ie. Archived 4 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ Leahy, Pat. "Nominations of three new High Court judges to be sent to President". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ "Diary President Higgins Appoints Judges To The High Court December 2021". president.ie. Retrieved 6 December 2021.