{{Short description|Judge at the International Criminal Court and the High Court of Ireland}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Hon. Ms. Justice | name = Maureen Harding Clark | office = Judge of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia | term_start = 12 June 2019 | term_end = | nominator = António Guterres | appointer = Norodom Sihamoni | predecessor = Agnieszka Klonowiecka-Milart | successor = | office1 = Judge of the High Court | term_start1 = 11 December 2006 | term_end1 = 3 November 2014 | nominator1 = Government of Ireland | appointer1 = Mary McAleese | office2 = Judge of the International Criminal Court | term_start2 = 11 March 2003 | term_end2 = 10 December 2006 | nominator2 = Government of Ireland | appointer2 = Assembly of States Parties | office3 = Judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia | term_start3 = 22 April 2001 | term_end3 = 9 February 2003 | nominator3 = Government of Ireland | appointer3 = United Nations General Assembly | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|01|03|df=yes}} | birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | children = | education = Muckross Park College | alma_mater = {{Ubl|University of Lyon|University College Dublin|Trinity College Dublin|King's Inns}} |}} '''Maureen Harding Clark''' (born 3 January 1946) is an Irish judge who served as a Judge of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia since June 2019, a Judge of the High Court from 2006 to 2014, a Judge at the International Criminal Court from 2003 to 2006, and a Judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia from 2001 to 2003.<ref name="Women in Peace">{{Cite web|first=Amanda |last= Verdery Young|title=Maureen Harding Clark|url=https://www.womeninpeace.org/c-names/2017/6/14/maureen-harding-clark| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220104/https://www.womeninpeace.org/c-names/2017/6/14/maureen-harding-clark| archive-date=4 January 2022|access-date=4 January 2022|website=Women in Peace|date= 2 March 2017|language=en-US}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Clark was born to an Irish Catholic mother and a Scottish Presbyterian father in Edinburgh, Scotland. When she was two years old, her family moved to Malaysia where she and her sister attended an English school run by French nuns.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=23 June 2001|title=Irish criminal lawyer joins Hague tribunal|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/irish-criminal-lawyer-joins-hague-tribunal-1.314471|access-date=4 January 2022|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}</ref> She also learned Malay.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=23 June 2001|title=Irish criminal lawyer joins Hague tribunal|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/irish-criminal-lawyer-joins-hague-tribunal-1.314471|access-date=4 January 2022|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}</ref> The school they attended in Malaysia was located in Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=12 December 2002|title=Election of the judges of the International Criminal Court|url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/482952| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220104/https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/482952| archive-date=4 January 2022|language=en|publisher=United Nations}}{{cbignore}}</ref> When she was twelve years old, the family moved to Ireland<ref name=":0" /> where she attended the Muckross Park College in Dublin.<ref name=":1" /> In 1964, Clark began studying at the University of Lyon where she obtained a diploma in French language.<ref name=":1" />
In 1965, Clark returned to Ireland and studied law at the University College Dublin,<ref name=":1" /> where she met her husband.<ref name=":0" /> Following her graduation with a BCL degree,<ref name=":1" /> she and her husband settled in the United States, where they had two children.<ref name=":0" /> After an amicable separation, she and the children returned to Ireland, where she followed up her studies at Trinity College Dublin.<ref name=":1" /> While at the university, her lecturer was Mary Robinson,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Byrne|first=John|date=22 March 2006|title=Judging Consultants|url=https://magill.ie/archive/judging-consultants| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220104/https://magill.ie/archive/judging-consultants| archive-date=4 January 2022|url-status=live|access-date=4 January 2022|website=magill.ie}}{{cbignore}}</ref> who later became President of Ireland. In 1975, she completed her studies and became a Barrister-at-Law at the Honourable Society of King's Inns.<ref name=":1" />
In 2021, she was made an honorary fellow of Trinity College Dublin.<ref>[https://www.tcd.ie/Secretary/FellowsScholars/fellowship/#hf TRINITY MONDAY 2021 – FELLOWS AND SCHOLARS]</ref>
== Legal career == Following her graduation in 1975<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=2 August 2019|title=His Majesty the King appoints New ECCC Judge|url=https://cambodianewsgazette.com/his-majesty-the-king-appoints-new-eccc-judge/| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220104/https://cambodianewsgazette.com/his-majesty-the-king-appoints-new-eccc-judge/| archive-date=4 January 2022|access-date=4 January 2022|website=Cambodia News Gazette|language=en-US}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Clark was a barrister in the South Eastern Circuit<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2001|title=Statement of Support of candidature of Maureen Harding Clark submitted to the legal counsel of the United Nations|url=https://legal.un.org/icc/elections/judges/clark/statement(e).pdf|website=United Nations}}</ref> in a variety of cases.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2001|title=Statement of Support of candidature of Maureen Harding Clark submitted to the legal counsel of the United Nations|url=https://legal.un.org/icc/elections/judges/clark/statement(e).pdf|website=United Nations}}</ref> In 1985, she assumed as the State Prosecutor for Tipperary.<ref name=":0" /> In 1991, she became a Senior Counsel.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> The same year, she quit her job in Tipperary<ref name=":0" /> and became a prosecutor at the Central Criminal Court in Ireland.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Newman|first=Christine|title=Irish judge nominated for world criminal court|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/irish-judge-nominated-for-world-criminal-court-1.1103701| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220104/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/irish-judge-nominated-for-world-criminal-court-1.1103701| archive-date=4 January 2022|url-status=live|access-date=5 January 2022|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She was described as "tough-minded", and "If she was prosecuting, you knew you were prosecuted".<ref name=":0" /> She led the prosecution in the first money-laundering trial in Europe, as well as the first marital rape and male rape trials in Ireland.<ref name=":1" /> In 2004, she was appointed a member of the Irish Human Rights Commission.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Appointment of Judge Maureen Harding Clark to the Human Rights Commission �� IHREC – Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission|url=https://www.ihrec.ie/appointment-of-judge-maureen-harding-clark-to-the-human-rights-commission/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220104/https://www.ihrec.ie/appointment-of-judge-maureen-harding-clark-to-the-human-rights-commission/| archive-date=4 January 2022|url-status=live|access-date=4 January 2022|website=Irish Human Rights Commission|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
== Judicial career == In June 2001, Clark was elected as one of the 27 so-called ''ad litem'' judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) by the General Assembly of the United Nations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pool of 27 Ad Litem Judges elected by UN General Assembly. {{!}} International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia|url=https://www.icty.org/en/press/pool-27-ad-litem-judges-elected-un-general-assembly| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220104/https://www.icty.org/en/press/pool-27-ad-litem-judges-elected-un-general-assembly| archive-date=4 January 2022|access-date=5 January 2022|website=www.icty.org}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She was assigned to a trial concerning human rights violations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The first six ad-litem Judges appointed by United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. {{!}} International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia|url=https://www.icty.org/en/press/first-six-ad-litem-judges-appointed-united-nations-secretary-general-kofi-annan|access-date=8 January 2022|website=www.icty.org}}</ref> By March 2003, her chamber had sentenced Mladen Naletilić Tuta to 20 years' and Vinko Martinovic to 18 years' imprisonment.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Judgement in the case The Prosecutor v. Mladen Naletilic et Vinko Martinovic {{!}} International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia|url=https://www.icty.org/en/press/judgement-case-prosecutor-v-mladen-naletilic-et-vinko-martinovic|access-date=8 January 2022|website=www.icty.org}}</ref> In 2003, she was elected to a nine-year term as a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC), where she was tasked with the organization of the trials and the establishment of a judicial infrastructure.<ref name="resignation"/> On 10 December 2006, she resigned from her post at the International Criminal Court after being appointed a High Court judge.<ref name="resignation">{{Cite web|title=ICC – Resignation of Judge Maureen Harding Clark|url=https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/icc-resignation-judge-maureen-harding-clark|access-date=26 August 2024|website=International Criminal Court|date=11 December 2006|language=en-GB}}</ref> In 2019, following her nomination by the UN secretary-general António Guterres, the King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni<ref name=":3" /> appointed Clark as a judge of the Supreme Court of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, the court at which the leaders of the Cambodian Khmer Rouge are to be tried.<ref name=":5" />
In December 2006, Clark became a Judge of the High Court of Ireland,<ref>{{cite web |title=No. 101 (2006) |url=https://www.irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2006/december/2006%2012%2019%20IO%20Issue.PDF |publisher=Iris Oifigiúil |access-date=12 January 2022 |date=19 December 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=December 2006|title=Top justices to fill two bench vacancies|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/top-justices-to-fill-two-bench-vacancies-26350509.html| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220104/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/top-justices-to-fill-two-bench-vacancies-26350509.html| archive-date=4 January 2022|url-status=live|access-date=5 January 2022|website=Independent|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref> a post she held until 2014.<ref>{{Cite news|last=O'Shea|first=Sinead|title=Retired judge sought Mount Trenchard inquiry|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/retired-judge-sought-mount-trenchard-inquiry-1.1928847| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220104/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/retired-judge-sought-mount-trenchard-inquiry-1.1928847| archive-date=4 January 2022|url-status=live|access-date=5 January 2022|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She was also the judicial visitor for the Trinity College Dublin between 2009 and 2020.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=Mr Justice George Birmingham Appointed New Judicial Visitor|url=https://universitytimes.ie/2020/11/mr-justice-george-birmingham-appointed-new-judicial-visitor/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220104/https://universitytimes.ie/2020/11/mr-justice-george-birmingham-appointed-new-judicial-visitor/| archive-date=4 January 2022|url-status=live|access-date=4 January 2022|website=The University Times|language=}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
== References == <references /> {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding Clark, Maureen}} Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:Irish jurists Category:Irish judges of international courts and tribunals Category:Alumni of University College Dublin Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Category:High Court judges (Ireland) Category:Honorary Fellows of Trinity College Dublin Category:Irish women judges Category:Khmer Rouge Tribunal judges Category:International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia judges Category:International Criminal Court judges Category:Alumni of King's Inns Category:21st-century Irish judges Category:21st-century Irish women judges Category:Irish people of Scottish descent