Liam McKechnie facts for kids

William Martin McKechnie is an important Irish judge. He was born on April 3, 1951. He served as a judge in Ireland's highest court, the Supreme Court, from 2010 to 2021. Before that, he was a judge in the High Court from 2000 to 2010.

Early Life and Education

William Martin McKechnie was born in 1951 in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland. He went to school at Presentation Brothers College, Cork. He studied law at University College Cork, finishing in 1971. He also studied at the King's Inns, which is a special place where lawyers train in Ireland. Later, while he was a High Court judge, he earned another degree in European law from University College Dublin.

Legal Career

Mr. McKechnie became a lawyer, or was "called to the Bar," in 1972. This means he was officially allowed to practice law. In 1987, he became a Senior Counsel, which is a very experienced and respected lawyer. Two other future Supreme Court judges, Susan Denham and Mary Laffoy, became Senior Counsel on the same day.

His work as a lawyer involved different areas of law. He worked on cases about business rules (commercial law), medical mistakes (medical negligence), property law (chancery law), and laws related to local governments. He also worked on cases called "judicial review," where courts check if government decisions are fair and legal.

He was chosen to lead the Bar Council, which is like a governing body for lawyers in Ireland, in 1999 and again in 2000. He also served on several important committees and boards related to law and justice.

Judicial Career

William McKechnie had a long and important career as a judge.

High Court Judge

In October 2000, Mr. McKechnie was appointed as a High Court judge. The High Court deals with serious cases and appeals. From 2004 to 2010, he was in charge of cases about fair competition between businesses. He also worked as a judge in the Special Criminal Court and the Court of Criminal Appeal, which handle serious criminal cases.

One of his important decisions in the High Court was in the Foy v An t-Ard Chláraitheoir case. He made Ireland's first "declaration of incompatibility" in this case. This meant that an Irish law did not fully match the rules of the European Convention on Human Rights.

In 2007, he heard the Miss D case. He decided that a 17-year-old girl who was in state care could travel to the United Kingdom to have a medical procedure. This decision was seen as very understanding and important. Also in 2007, in the Mr. G case, he ruled that an unmarried father had the right to agree or disagree before his child was taken out of the country. The Supreme Court later agreed with his decision.

In 2010, he was elected as the President of the Association of European Competition Law Judges. This group represents judges from all the countries in the European Union who deal with competition law.

Supreme Court Judge

In June 2010, Mr. McKechnie was chosen to become a judge in the Supreme Court of Ireland. This is the highest court in Ireland. He was officially appointed by the President of Ireland Mary McAleese in July 2010. He was the first person to graduate from University College Cork and then become a Supreme Court judge.

As a Supreme Court judge, he wrote many important decisions that the whole court agreed with. These cases covered many different areas, such as family law, tax law, immigration law, and European Union law.

He also sometimes disagreed with the other judges in important cases. For example, in 2015, in a case called DPP v. JC, he was one of the judges who did not agree with changing old court rules about how evidence could be used. In 2017, in DPP v Doyle, he believed that people being questioned by police should have the right to talk to a lawyer, even though most other judges disagreed.

He was part of a group that looked at how civil law cases (cases between people or groups, not criminal cases) could be made simpler and cheaper in Irish courts.

Mr. McKechnie retired from his role as a Supreme Court judge in April 2021, when he reached the age of 70.

Personal Life

William Martin McKechnie is married to Goretti.