20 barristers and 17 solicitors to be granted title of Senior Counsel

The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) published the list of 37 legal practitioners who are to be granted the title of Senior Counsel following the Government’s approval of recommendations from the Advisory Committee on the grant of Patents of Precedence.

The Committee recommended to government that 37 legal practitioners be granted Patents of Precedence, 20 barristers and 17 solicitors. The grant of a Patent of Precedence, in relation to a barrister, entitles him or her to be called to the Inner Bar and to use the title of Senior Counsel. In relation to a solicitor, it entitles him or her to use the title of Senior Counsel.

This is the first time that solicitors have been allowed apply to use the title of Senior Counsel, under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015. This follows the establishment by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority of the Advisory Committee on the grant of Patents of Precedence in April 2020.

The Advisory Committee established the criteria, based on objectives set out in section 173 of the Act, to be met by a legal practitioner in order for a recommendation to be made by the Advisory Committee to the Government that a Patent of Precedence be granted to him or her.

The Legal Services Regulatory Authority has provided administrative and secretarial support to the independent Committee but does not make recommendations or appointments.

The membership of the Advisory Committee is:

• The Chief Justice (Chairperson of the Committee)
• The President of the Court of Appeal
• The President of the High Court
• The Attorney General
• The Chairperson of the Bar Council
• The President of the Law Society
• Dr Don Thornhill, a lay member of the Authority (and its chair) nominated by the Minister for Justice and Equality.

The Government approved the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on the grant of Patents of Precedence at its cabinet meeting on Tuesday 1 September 2020. Following the receipt of formal notification today to the LSRA [Thursday 3 September] from the Department of the Taoiseach, the names of those who are to be granted patents were published on the LSRA website. They are listed below.

Barristers

• John Breslin
• Nessa Cahill
• Eoin Carolan
• Maurice Coffey
• Catherine Donnelly
• Marcus Dowling
• Stephen Dowling
• Michael Duffy
• Emily Farrell
• Brian Foley
• Damien Higgins
• Dean Kelly
• Brian Kennelly
• Suzanne Kingston
• Darren Lehane
• Anthony Moore
• Bernadette Quigley
• David Sharpe
• Derek Shortall
• Kelley Smith

Solicitors

• Éamonn Conlon
• Paul Egan
• Patrick Groarke
• Richard Hammond
• Bill Holohan
• Aine Hynes
• Liam Kennedy
• Rory Kirrane
• Cormac Little
• James MacGuill
• Roger Murray
• Helen Noble
• Bernard O’Connor
• Vincent Power
• Dara Robinson
• Michael Staines
• Damien M.P Tansey

 Further details on their appointment can be found on the LSRA website.