Donald Binchy

Last updated

The Hon. Mr. Justice
Donald Binchy
Judge of the Court of Appeal
Assumed office
18 March 2020

Donald Binchy (born 1963 [1] ) is an Irish lawyer who is currently a Judge of the Court of Appeal. He was formerly a solicitor and was the President of the Law Society of Ireland between 2011 and 2012. He was a Judge of the High Court between 2014 and 2020.

Contents

Early career

Binchy is from Clonmel in County Tipperary. His father Don was a solicitor who was the President of the Law Society of Ireland from 1990 to 1991. [2] He attended Clongowes Wood College and received a BCL degree from University College Dublin in 1984. [3] [4] He qualified as a solicitor from the Law Society in 1987 and spent two years practising at a commercial firm in Dublin, Cawley, Sheerin, Wynne, practising in the areas of funds and re-insurance law. [3] He subsequently joined the firm founded by his grandfather, Binchy Solicitors, in Clonmel. He was appointed solicitor to Clonmel Corporation in 1995. [1]

In his practice, he specialised in particular in aspects of company and commercial law, in addition to administrative law and planning law. [5]

He became President of the Law Society of Ireland in 2011 to serve a term until 2012. [2] He had previously served on various committees of the Law Society prior to becoming president. [1]

Judicial career

High Court

Binchy became a High Court judge in October 2014. [6] He was the first solicitor from Clonmel to be appointed to the High Court. [3]

In the High Court he heard extradition cases including those arising out of the Essex lorry deaths and the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. [7] [8] He also heard applications for injunctions, [9] and a commercial dispute involving Jedward. [10]

In 2015 he granted an injunction against RTÉ taken by Denis O'Brien to prevent the broadcast of details of his personal banking arrangements contained in a news report. [11] He subsequently held that what was said about O'Brien in Dáil Éireann was reportable. [12]

Court of Appeal

He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in March 2020. [13] A vacancy arose following the appointment of Marie Baker to the Supreme Court of Ireland. [14]

Personal life

He is married to Claire Cusack with whom he has three children. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Clonmel solicitor makes history as first High Court Judge from the town". www.tipperarylive.ie. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Mr Justice Donald Binchy for Court of Appeal". Law Society Gazette. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Clonmel's Donald Binchy elected President of the Law Society of Ireland for 2011/12". Clonmel Online. 12 November 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "Judicial appointments: congratulations to alumni". Facebook. UCD School of Law. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "Courts Service News" (PDF). Courts.ie. December 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  6. ↑ "Annual Report 2014" (PDF). JAAB. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  7. ↑ "Judge to hold off ordering extraditions over outbreak". RTÉ News. 16 March 2020. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  8. ↑ "High Court endorses warrant for Bailey extradition". RTÉ News. 16 December 2019. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  9. ↑ "Stay put on injunction at Dunnes Stores in Gorey". RTÉ News. 26 May 2015. Archived from the original on 3 January 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  10. ↑ "High Court action against Jedward is settled". RTÉ News. 2 November 2017. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  11. ↑ "Denis O'Brien granted injunctions against RTÉ". RTÉ News. 21 May 2015. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  12. ↑ Harrison, Shane (2 June 2015). "Media 'free to report on O'Brien'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  13. ↑ Ireland, Office of the President of. "Diary President Appoints Mr Justice Donald Binchy To The Court Of Appeal". president.ie. Archived from the original on 6 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "Government agrees nominations for appointment to the Court of Appeal, High Court, Circuit Court and District Court". merrionstreet.ie. Archived from the original on 16 March 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
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