George Birmingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Birmingham
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Birmingham in 2024
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| President of the Court of Appeal | |
| In office 4 April 2018 – 24 July 2024 |
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| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Michael D. Higgins |
| Preceded by | Sean Ryan |
| Succeeded by | Caroline Costello |
| Judge of the Court of Appeal | |
| In office 24 October 2014 – 24 July 2024 |
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| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Michael D. Higgins |
| Judge of the High Court | |
| In office 5 June 2007 – 24 October 2014 |
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| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Mary McAleese |
| Minister of State | |
| 1986–1987 | European Affairs |
| 1983–1986 | Education |
| 1982–1986 | Labour |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office June 1981 – June 1989 |
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| Constituency | Dublin North-Central |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 August 1954 Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Education | St Paul's College, Raheny |
| Alma mater | |
George Martin Birmingham, born on August 3, 1954, is a well-known Irish judge who recently retired. He served as the President of the Court of Appeal from 2018 to 2024. Before that, he was a judge in the same court starting in 2014. He also worked as a judge in the High Court from 2007 to 2014.
Beyond his work as a judge, George Birmingham was also a politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish parliament, representing the Dublin North-Central area from 1981 to 1989. He also held a role as a Minister of State from 1982 to 1987.
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Early Life and Education
George Birmingham was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1954. He attended St Paul's College, Raheny for his schooling. After that, he went to Trinity College Dublin and King's Inns. At King's Inns, he studied law and became a barrister in November 1976. A barrister is a lawyer who represents clients in court.
In his early legal career, he worked on cases involving business, crime, and employment law.
Political Journey
Starting in Politics
George Birmingham became involved in politics in December 1976. He joined the national executive of Fine Gael, which is a major political party in Ireland. In 1978, he suggested that the party should ask for a public vote, called a referendum, on the topic of divorce. This idea was successful.
He was first elected to a public office in 1979, winning a seat in the Dublin Corporation election for the Raheny area. He then became a TD in the Dáil Éireann (the Irish parliament) in the 1981 general election. He represented the Dublin North-Central area. In 1982, he became the Fine Gael spokesperson for urban affairs.
Serving as a Minister of State
From 1982 to 1987, George Birmingham served as a Minister of State. This role is like a junior minister, helping a senior minister in a government department. He worked under Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Garret FitzGerald.
In December 1982, he was appointed as the Minister of State at the Department of Labour, focusing on youth affairs. From December 1983, he also helped coordinate education and training as a Minister of State at the Department of Education.
In February 1986, he took on a new role as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Here, he was responsible for European Affairs and helping other countries. He was the first person to hold the specific title of Minister of State for European Affairs. In this role, he visited Irish aid projects in countries like Lesotho, Zambia, and Tanzania. He also met with representatives of the ANC, which was a significant meeting for an Irish minister at the time.
Returning to Opposition
In the 1987 general election, George Birmingham was re-elected as a TD. However, his party, Fine Gael, lost the election and was no longer in government. He then became the party's spokesperson for Labour in 1987 and later for Education in 1988.
He lost his seat in the Dáil in the 1989 general election.
Legal Career
After leaving politics in 1989, George Birmingham went back to being a barrister. In 1999, he became a senior counsel, which is a more experienced and respected type of barrister. He worked a lot in criminal law, often prosecuting cases for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The DPP decides whether to bring criminal charges against someone.
He represented fans who were injured during an event at Lansdowne Road. He also worked for the DPP in important trials in the Special Criminal Court.
George Birmingham also chaired the Censorship of Publications Appeals Board. In 1996, the Minister for Justice asked him to lead an Advisory Group on Criminal Law and Procedure. He also led an investigation for the government before the Ferns Report, which looked into serious allegations.
Judicial Career
Becoming a Judge
On May 3, 2007, George Birmingham was chosen to become a judge of the High Court. He officially started this role in June 2007.
In October 2014, he became one of the first judges appointed to the newly established Court of Appeal. This court hears appeals from decisions made in other courts. He also represented Ireland on the Consultative Council of Judiciary (CCJE) and was elected to its leadership group. He was also a past president of the Association of Judges of Ireland (AJI).
Leading the Court of Appeal
On April 24, 2018, the Government of Ireland nominated George Birmingham to be the President of the Court of Appeal. As President, he was also automatically a member of the Supreme Court.
His nomination caused some discussion because of his past as a politician with Fine Gael in the 1980s.
In 2018, he pointed out that the Court of Appeal needed more judges to handle all the appeals. Because of this, a new law was passed in 2019 to increase the number of judges to fifteen, which helped speed up the court's work.
George Birmingham retired from his role as a judge in July 2024. In October 2024, it was announced that he would become the Independent Examiner of Security Legislation starting in December 2024.
