Susan Denham named first woman chief justice

Morag · 20-07-2011 11:55am #1

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/0720/1224301011023.html

Susan Denham named first woman chief justice

THE GOVERNMENT has nominated Mrs Justice Susan Denham for appointment by the President as the next chief justice, making her the first woman and the first Protestant to hold the position.

She replaces Mr Justice John Murray, who retires on Friday. He will continue to be a member of the Supreme Court until 2014.

With the recent appointment of Máire Whelan SC as Attorney General, the appointment means the two most senior legal positions in the State are occupied by women.

Mrs Justice Denham is the daughter of former Irish Times editor Douglas Gageby. Educated in Alexandra College, Dublin, and Trinity College, where she studied legal science, the King’s Inns and Columbia University, New York, she was called to the Bar in 1971 and became a senior counsel in 1987.

As a barrister she practised on the midland circuit and in Dublin, where she specialised in judicial review cases. She was appointed to the High Court in 1991. In December 1992 she became the first woman appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court.

In the 1990s she chaired the working group on a courts commission which produced a series of reports leading to the establishment of the Courts Service in 1999.

She served on the board of the Courts Service from its inception and chaired its Family Law Development Committee. Currently she chairs ISIS, the steering committee established to plan for and provide a system of information on sentencing.

Mrs Justice Denham was also secretary of the Committee on Judicial Conduct and Ethics which, in 2000, presented a report advising the establishment of a judicial council.

She is the chairwoman of the Committee on Court Practice and Procedure which advises on the need for change in various areas of the operation of the courts.

It's a good thing to see and makes me think that hopefully Ireland can be better then we expected.

goose2005 · 20-07-2011 12:27pm

Sharrow wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/0720/1224301011023.html

It's a good thing to see and makes me think that hopefully Ireland can be better then we expected.

Yes, the child of an Irish Times editor and alumna of Alex. - the odds were really stacked against her

Maple · 20-07-2011 1:26pm

goose2005 wrote: »

Yes, the child of an Irish Times editor and alumna of Alex. - the odds were really stacked against her

What's your point?

LittleBook · 20-07-2011 1:27pm

goose2005 wrote: »

Yes, the child of an Irish Times editor and alumna of Alex. - the odds were really stacked against her

Every Chief Justice since the 70s was an alumnus of UCD :P

Magic Beans · 20-07-2011 1:34pm

goose2005 wrote: »

Yes, the child of an Irish Times editor and alumna of Alex. - the odds were really stacked against her

Ireland is not a classless society. Some doors will always open easier for people from certain backgrounds. The only difference here is that the door is now being held open for women. That's progress, let's wish her well on her appointment.

Scarlet 27 · 20-07-2011 1:45pm

As someone who works in the legal industry I think it is wonderful news and about time (women have out numbered men going into law since the 70's).

Irrelevant of ones background anyone who gets ahead in this game works their ass off (I am from a working class background so I am objective when I say that). She has had to work incredible hard to get to this point, is obviously a very talented women and highly intelligent. I think it should be celebrated as a good thing for the country and for women. Thanks for spreading the good news Sharrow.

discus · 20-07-2011 3:33pm

While I'm delighted to see another 'first' for Ireland, and a change from the current 50/50 divide between old guard and inanely lenient, what is her background? What will she bring to the position that others haven't?

pickarooney · 20-07-2011 3:33pm

I'm not well up on these things. What power does this position hold exactly? Is this the one person who can potentially change the ludicrously lenient sentencing laws for violent crime in Ireland or is it just a figurehead role?

LittleBook · 20-07-2011 5:24pm

The Role of the Chief Justice

Not yet updated

- President of and responsibility for the Supreme Court
- First member of Presidential Commission (which acts in the absence of the President)
- Member of Council of State (advisors to the President)

Bottle_of_Smoke · 21-07-2011 1:40pm

This is good to see. Her appointment is a source of inspiration for women who may be put off striving for top positions out of fear of glass ceilings or old boys clubs.

pickarooney · 21-07-2011 3:29pm

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

This is good to see. Her appointment is a source of inspiration for women who may be put off striving for top positions out of fear of glass ceilings or old boys clubs.

Did you just burst a bag of clichés? :P

almostnever · 21-07-2011 6:19pm

She has been an exceptional Supreme Court judge over the years and I have no doubt that she will continue the trend as Chief Justice.

ninjasurfer1 · 22-07-2011 1:10am

Am I reading the extract correctly where it says she was a (high court) judge for one year (1991 - 1992) before becoming a supreme court judge?

If I've read it right, surely one would have to be a judge for longer than a year or two before becoming a supreme court judge?

Turkana · 22-07-2011 1:34am

Jesus that photo of her is terrible! They really should have chosen a more professional and more feminine photo. She kind of looks like a man in that one!

Anyway, this is great news.

LightningBolt · 22-07-2011 3:56am

I wonder if she has children? That's not meant to be smart either, I'm genuinely curious.

Lynnsie · 22-07-2011 8:18am

ninjasurfer1 wrote: »

Am I reading the extract correctly where it says she was a (high court) judge for one year (1991 - 1992) before becoming a supreme court judge?

If I've read it right, surely one would have to be a judge for longer than a year or two before becoming a supreme court judge?

Not necessarily, Donal O'Donnell was appointed straight to the Supreme Court last year without having served in any lower court.

LightningBolt wrote: »

I wonder if she has children? That's not meant to be smart either, I'm genuinely curious.

According to the news reports she has 4!

LightningBolt · 22-07-2011 1:43pm

Miss Lala wrote: »

According to the news reports she has 4!

Good to hear. Only asked because I wouldn't have called her much of a role model if she had to get to the top having had to forgo raising children.

Fair play to her, raising four kids and getting to where she is now is a great achievement.

Beruthiel · 22-07-2011 1:53pm

LightningBolt wrote: »

Good to hear. Only asked because I wouldn't have called her much of a role model if she had to get to the top having had to forgo raising children.

I honestly do not get this statement.
A woman cannot be a role model now if she does not have children in tow?
/Speechless....

Morag · 22-07-2011 1:58pm

Turkana wrote: »

Jesus that photo of her is terrible! They really should have chosen a more professional and more feminine photo. She kind of looks like a man in that one!

Anyway, this is great news.

Seriously?
You think she should look more glam?

So if she's not pretty and doesn't have kids she fails as a woman?
Charming.

Turkana · 22-07-2011 5:29pm

Sharrow wrote: »

Seriously?
You think she should look more glam?

So if she's not pretty and doesn't have kids she fails as a woman?
Charming.

Did I say that she fails as a woman? And did I say that she should look more glam?

Scarlet 27 · 22-07-2011 6:02pm

LightningBolt wrote: »

Good to hear. Only asked because I wouldn't have called her much of a role model if she had to get to the top having had to forgo raising children.

Fair play to her, raising four kids and getting to where she is now is a great achievement.

I don't mean to speak for you but I think the above statement didn't read well. I know it can be very difficult for women to have children in the legal industry in particular barristers as most of them don't take any maternity leave and go straight back to work (in fact some have been know to take legal calls when in labour and yes I am being serious) while some try and take the summer vacation from aug to sep as maternity leave so thats a total of 2 months at most if they are lucky.

One of my female friends was recently told it is ok for men to have families because they have wives to take care of them but its not ok for female lawyers to have them and generally most female solicitors won't have children until they make partner (thats if they aspire in their career plan to be a partner which obviously not everyone does) because they know it will probably hinder their career. In that sense it is great to see a woman who has children have such a successful career which I think is what you were getting at?

However when statements are phrased the way you phrased it, it sounds like it wouldn't have been the same achievement for her to get Chief Justice position without her having children (and lets face it in a professional light she still had do be exceptional and work incredible hard to get the job whether or not she had children). Also lots of women don't want children at all (not sure whether I want them to be honest) and lots of people can't have children who want them.

If she did not have children the public may presume that she did it to get ahead in her career (which may of course be the case) but alternatively it could be because as I stated above she was unable to have children or did not want any children and in reality it is probably wise not to speculate over peoples personal lives.

Realistically if we had another male Chief Justice no one would comment on his personal family life or how many children he had they would just congratulate him on having been appointed to one of the most important legal position in the country which in and of its self is a huge achievement regardless of ones background or personal life.

LightningBolt · 22-07-2011 6:34pm

Scarlet 27 wrote: »

I don't mean to speak for you but I think the above statement didn't read well. I know it can be very difficult for women to have children in the legal industry in particular barristers as most of them don't take any maternity leave and go straight back to work (in fact some have been know to take legal calls when in labour and yes I am being serious) while some try and take the summer vacation from aug to sep as maternity leave so thats a total of 2 months at most if they are lucky.

One of my female friends was recently told it is ok for men to have families because they have wives to take care of them but its not ok for female lawyers to have them and generally most female solicitors won't have children until they make partner (thats if they aspire in their career plan to be a partner which obviously not everyone does) because they know it will probably hinder their career. In that sense it is great to see a woman who has children have such a successful career which I think is what you were getting at?

However when statements are phrased the way you phrased it, it sounds like it wouldn't have been the same achievement for her to get Chief Justice position without her having children (and lets face it in a professional light she still had do be exceptional and work incredible hard to get the job whether or not she had children). Also lots of women don't want children at all (not sure whether I want them to be honest) and lots of people can't have children who want them.

If she did not have children the public may presume that she did it to get ahead in her career (which may of course be the case) but alternatively it could be because as I stated above she was unable to have children or did not want any children and in reality it is probably wise not to speculate over peoples personal lives.

Realistically if we had another male Chief Justice no one would comment on his personal family life or how many children he had they would just congratulate him on having been appointed to one of the most important legal position in the country which in and of its self is a huge achievement regardless of ones background or personal life.

Yeah, pretty much what you said in the bold part is the bit I was getting at. I just wrote a quick response initially and didn't mean to cause offence. As you've said I think it's great that she's raised a family and still been able to reach the pinnacle of the legal profession here in Ireland. She's obviously a role model to all women but the fact that she has children means that working mothers can look up to her to see that it is possible to move up the career ladder whilst having kids. Hopefully that doesn't leave you as speechless Beruthiel...

Susan Denham named first woman chief justice

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