Liam McKechnie facts for kids

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

William McKechnie's Early Life

William McKechnie was born in 1951 in Kinsale, County Cork. He went to school at Presentation Brothers College, Cork. He studied law at University College Cork, finishing in 1971. He also studied at King's Inns in 1972. King's Inns is a special place where lawyers train in Ireland. Later, while he was a High Court judge, he earned another degree. This was a master's degree in European law from University College Dublin.

Becoming a Lawyer

William McKechnie became a lawyer in 1972. This means he was "called to the Bar". He became a Senior Counsel in October 1987. This is a special title for experienced lawyers. Two other future Supreme Court judges, Susan Denham and Mary Laffoy, also became Senior Counsel on the same day.

As a lawyer, he worked on many different types of cases. These included business law, cases about medical mistakes, and property law. He also worked on cases where people asked courts to review decisions made by the government.

He was chosen to lead the Bar Council in 1999 and again in 2000. The Bar Council is like a governing body for lawyers in Ireland. He also held other important roles. He was part of a group that looked at rules for renting homes. He also served on the Courts Service Board, which helps run the courts.

Life as a Judge

Working in the High Court

McKechnie became a High Court judge in October 2000. The High Court deals with serious cases and appeals. From 2004 to 2010, he was in charge of cases about competition law. This type of law makes sure businesses compete fairly.

He also worked as a judge in the Special Criminal Court. This court hears cases about serious crimes. He also sat on the Court of Criminal Appeal. This court reviews decisions from criminal trials.

In 2007, Judge McKechnie made a very important decision. This was in a case called Foy v An t-Ard Chláraitheoir. He said that Irish law did not fully respect the rights of transgender people. This was the first time an Irish court made such a ruling. Newspapers called his decision "compassionate" and "landmark".

Also in 2007, he ruled in a case about an unmarried father. He said the father had the right to agree or disagree if his child was taken out of the country. The Supreme Court later agreed with his decision.

In 2010, he was chosen to be the President of the Association of European Competition Law Judges. This group represents judges from all over the European Union.

Reaching the Supreme Court

In June 2010, William McKechnie was chosen to join the Supreme Court of Ireland. This is the highest court in Ireland. He was officially appointed by President of Ireland Mary McAleese in July 2010. He was the first person who studied at University College Cork to become a Supreme Court judge.

As a Supreme Court judge, he wrote many important decisions. These decisions covered many areas of law. They included family law, tax law, and immigration law. They also included cases about European Union law.

He sometimes disagreed with other judges on important cases. For example, in 2017, he disagreed with six other judges. He believed that people held by the police had a right to talk to a lawyer during questioning.

He was also part of a group that looked at how to make civil lawsuits easier and cheaper. Civil lawsuits are legal cases between people or groups, not about crimes.

Judge McKechnie retired in April 2021. He retired when he reached the age of 70, which is the mandatory retirement age for judges.

Personal Life

William McKechnie is married to Goretti.