Mary Laffoy facts for kids

Mary Eleanor Laffoy, born on June 17, 1945, is a retired Irish judge. She had a long and important career in law. She was the President of the Law Reform Commission from 2018 to 2022. Before that, she was a judge in the Supreme Court from 2013 to 2017. She also served as a judge in the High Court from 1995 to 2013. From 2016 to 2018, she led the Citizens' Assembly.

Early Life and Education

Mary Laffoy was born in Dublin, on North Circular Road, Dublin. Her family moved to Manorhamilton and then to Swinford. After her father passed away, she returned to Dublin, living in Donabate. She went to school at Tourmakeady College in Toormakeady.

After school, she first tried teaching at Carysfort College. She also worked in the civil service. Later, she studied at University College Dublin (UCD) and King's Inns. At King's Inns, she won the John Brooks Scholarship. This award was for getting the highest marks. She earned her BA degree from UCD in 1968. She then received a BCL degree in 1971.

Her Legal Career

Mary Laffoy became a lawyer, or was "called to the Bar", in 1971. She became a Senior Counsel in 1987. A Senior Counsel is a very experienced lawyer. She was one of only four women to become a Senior Counsel that day. Two of her colleagues, Susan Denham and Liam McKechnie, also became Senior Counsel. They later joined her on the Supreme Court.

Expertise in Property Law

Mary Laffoy was an expert in property law. This area of law deals with who owns land and buildings. She worked on important cases that helped clarify Irish law. For example, she was involved in the Cityview Press case. This case helped explain how laws are made and who can make them.

Important Constitutional Cases

She was asked by the Supreme Court to argue in two very important cases. These cases involved checking if new laws followed the Constitution of Ireland. In 1983, she argued against a new election law. In 1993, she argued against a law about married couples' homes. In both cases, the Supreme Court agreed with her arguments.

Her Time as a Judge

Mary Laffoy served as a judge for many years. She worked in both the High Court and the Supreme Court.

High Court Judge

She became a judge of the High Court in 1995. In this court, she mainly handled cases about property and business law.

Leading the Child Abuse Inquiry

From 1999 to 2003, she led a very important investigation. This was the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. It looked into cases of child abuse. Mary Laffoy resigned from this role in 2003. She felt that the government's actions were slowing down the commission's work. She believed this made it hard for the commission to do its job independently. Judge Sean Ryan took over as chair after her.

Supreme Court Judge

In July 2013, Mary Laffoy was appointed to the Supreme Court. This is the highest court in Ireland. She retired from the Supreme Court on June 16, 2017. A special portrait of her was revealed in March 2020. This portrait is at King's Inns, where she studied law.

Other Important Roles

Chair of the Citizens' Assembly

In July 2016, the Taoiseach (Ireland's Prime Minister), Enda Kenny, chose her for a new role. She became the chair of the Citizens' Assembly. This group brings together ordinary citizens to discuss important issues. They then make recommendations to the government. She led this assembly until June 2018.

President of the Law Reform Commission

In 2018, Mary Laffoy became the President of the Law Reform Commission. This commission works to make sure Ireland's laws are fair and up-to-date. She held this position until 2022.