Charles Meenan

Charles Francis Meenan (born 21 June 1957[1]) is an Irish judge who has served as a Judge of the High Court since June 2017.

The Hon. Mr Justice

Charles Meenan
Judge of the High Court
Assumed office
19 June 2017
Nominated byGovernment of Ireland
Appointed byMichael D. Higgins
Personal details
Born
Charles Francis Meenan

(1957-06-21) 21 June 1957
Dublin, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Spouse(s)Anita Meenan (m. 1984)
Children2
EducationGonzaga College
Alma mater

Early life

Meenan graduated from Gonzaga College in 1975.[2] He was educated at University College Dublin and King's Inns.[3] He was the auditor of the UCD Literary and Historical Society between 1980 and 1981. His inaugural speech featured contributions from former Taoiseach Jack Lynch, then Fine Gael leader Garret FitzGerald and Professors James Meenan and Brendan Walsh.[4] His father Charles Meenan and uncles James and Patrick were also former auditors.[5] He was the team winner of the Irish Times Debate in 1981 for the L&H with teammate Gerard Stembridge.[6]

He was called to the Bar in 1980. He became Senior Counsel in 1998 and is a CEDR Accredited Mediator.[3] He led a wide practice, including representing clients in matters involving professional negligence,[7] personal injuries, constitutional law, commercial and administrative law.[3]

He represented John Bruton at the Moriarty Tribunal in 1999.[8] He represented Des Smyth and his co-investors in actions against businessman Thomas O'Keeffe.[9] He was counsel for James Reilly who appeared in a personal capacity in a defamation action and acted for Michael Neary in several actions.[10][11][12]

He provided legal advice to the Oireachtas committee conducting hearings during the Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis.[13]

He was a legal assessor for bodies including the Irish Medical Council and the Irish Nursing Board. He was the Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Temple Street Children's University Hospital between 2002 and 2015.[3]

Judicial career

High Court

He was nominated to the High Court in May 2017 and appointed in June 2017.[14][15]

Meenan has heard cases involving personal injuries against the estate of Dolores O'Riordan and a defamation action taken by Gerry Adams against the BBC.[16][17] In 2017, he overturned a decision of the Data Protection Commissioner which had found that Alan Shatter had acted in breach of his duties while Minister for Justice and Equality.[18] He found in 2018, that Simon Harris had not taken proper account of reports in his role as Minister for Health in a decision to launch an inquiry into the welfare of patients at the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin.[19]

He was appointed to make a report into issues surrounding the CervicalCheck cancer scandal in August 2018. The purpose of his investigation was to propose alternatives to court cases.[20] He proposed the establishment of a tribunal of inquiry in his findings published in October 2018,[21] which formed the basis of the government's decision to introduce the CervicalCheck Tribunal Act 2019.[22]

As of 2020, Meenan is the Judge in Charge of the Non-Jury and Judicial Review List of the High Court.[23][24] In May 2020, he presided over a hearing in which Gemma O'Doherty and John Waters sought leave for judicial review to challenge the constitutionality of legislation enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[25] He refused to grant leave.[26]

Personal life

He and his wife, Anita, have two children who are solicitors.[27]

References
  1. "Births, Marriages, Deaths". The Irish Times. 28 June 1957. p. 14.
  2. "Gonzaga in the 1970s" (PDF). Gonzaga Archive. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  3. "Appointments to the High, Circuit and District Court". Merrion Street Irish Government News Service. 23 May 2017.
  4. "Lynch backs economics policies". Irish Press. 29 November 1980. p. 3.
  5. "Pioneering physician who worked on polio vaccine". The Irish Times. 19 July 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  6. "The Irish Times Debate at 60: How changing topics reflected the ages". The Irish Times. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  7. "Hospital to appeal birth negligence case". RTÉ News. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  8. O'Sullivan, Roddy (7 July 1999). "Inquiry told Bruton accepts tribunal chairman disclosed his shareholding". The Irish Times. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  9. "Businessman ordered to sell horses". independent. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  10. "Reilly receives apology over developer article". RTÉ News. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  11. "Neary bid to block civil action adjourned". www.irishexaminer.com. 22 February 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  12. "Doctor's decision to operate was a 'doomsday remedy'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  13. Deegan, Gordon (4 August 2015). "Lawyer gets €18,000 for seven days' work at the Bank Inquiry". Irish Independent. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  14. McQuinn, Cormac (24 May 2017). "Four judges approved in spite of Ross law crusade". Irish Independent. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  15. "President appoints judges to the High Court and the Court of Appeal". www.president.ie. 19 June 2017.
  16. "Flight attendant seeks damages from O'Riordan's estate". RTÉ News. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  17. "Adams seeks more documents from BBC in defamation case". RTÉ News. 6 February 2020.
  18. Brennan, Cianan. "DPC 'welcomes detailed analysis' by High Court after appeal by Alan Shatter upheld". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  19. Traynor, Vivienne (6 September 2018). "High Court quashes minister's order for NMH inquiry". RTÉ News.
  20. "Mr Justice Meenan to investigate alternatives to court for CervicalCheck women". Irish Legal News. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  21. Halpin, Hayley. "Judge recommends establishment of tribunal to deal with CervicalCheck claims". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  22. "CervicalCheck Tribunal Bill 2019: Second Stage – Dáil Éireann (32nd Dáil) – Wednesday, 26 Jun 2019 – Houses of the Oireachtas". www.oireachtas.ie. Houses of the Oireachtas. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  23. "General Notices: 12 February 2020 - HC Judges Hilary '20". Courts.ie. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  24. "Notice - High Court Michaelmas Term - Assignment of Judges". Courts Service. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  25. "Court reserves judgment on challenge against Covid-19 lockdown laws". belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  26. Faolain, Aodhan O. (13 May 2020). "High Court rejects legal challenge by Gemma O'Doherty and John Waters to Covid-19 laws". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  27. "July 2017" (PDF). Law Society Gazette. July 2017. p. 17.
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