Séamus Woulfe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Séamus Woulfe
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Woulfe in 2024
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| Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland | |
| Assumed office 23 July 2020 |
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| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Michael D. Higgins |
| Attorney General of Ireland | |
| In office 14 June 2017 – 27 June 2020 |
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| Taoiseach | Leo Varadkar |
| Preceded by | Máire Whelan |
| Succeeded by | Paul Gallagher |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1962 (age 62–63) Raheny, Dublin, Ireland |
| Spouse | Sheena Hickey |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Belvedere College |
| Alma mater |
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Séamus Philip Woulfe (born in 1962) is an Irish judge and lawyer. He has been a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland since July 2020. Before that, he was the Attorney General of Ireland from 2017 to 2020.
Before becoming a public official, he worked as a barrister. This means he was a lawyer who argued cases in court. He focused on business and public law. He studied law at Trinity College Dublin and Dalhousie University. He became a barrister in 1987. He worked on cases in Irish and European courts. He also taught law.
He became Attorney General in June 2017. During his time in this role, he gave advice on important changes to the Irish Constitution. He also advised on laws related to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was replaced by Paul Gallagher in June 2020.
Woulfe was appointed a Supreme Court judge in July 2020. In August 2020, he attended a dinner that caused some public discussion. After a review, he continued to serve as a judge. He began hearing cases in February 2021.
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Early Life and Education
Séamus Philip Woulfe was born in 1962 in Raheny, Dublin. He went to Belvedere College and finished school in 1980.
He then studied law at Trinity College Dublin. He earned his degree in 1984. He also played squash for the university team. Later, he earned another law degree from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1986. He completed his legal training at the King's Inns in 1987.
Legal Career Before Becoming a Judge
Woulfe started working as a lawyer in Ireland in October 1987. He became a Senior Counsel in 2005. This means he was a very experienced lawyer. His work mainly involved business and public law cases.
He also had other important roles. He was a legal advisor for groups that check on doctors and nurses. He helped make sure they followed professional rules.
Woulfe worked on several important legal cases. He represented clients in cases that helped clarify laws in Ireland. He also worked on cases that went to the European Court of Human Rights.
He was appointed in 2013 to investigate a land deal for the government. In 2015, he represented a politician in a case against his own political party.
For many years, Woulfe taught law part-time at Trinity College Dublin. He also helped a group that looked at how laws could be improved. In 2016, he helped set up a committee to support the well-being of lawyers.
Attorney General Role
In June 2017, Séamus Woulfe became the Attorney General of Ireland. This happened when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar chose him for the role. He took over from Máire Whelan. The Attorney General is the chief legal adviser to the government.
He was seen as a trusted advisor to the Taoiseach. He gave legal advice on many important issues.
In 2018, he commented on a new law about how judges are appointed. He said it was not well-written. This law was discussed in the Irish parliament but did not pass.
He advised the government on a major change to the Irish Constitution in 2018. He also advised on a bill about occupied territories. He said it might not be allowed by the Constitution. He also gave advice during the 2020 Irish general election. He said the election could still happen even after a candidate passed away.
His department also advised on laws made to control activities during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland. These laws helped keep people safe.
After the 2020 election, a new government was formed. The role of Attorney General was given to someone else. Paul Gallagher took over from Woulfe on June 27, 2020.
Becoming a Supreme Court Judge
After his time as Attorney General, Woulfe briefly returned to working as a barrister. In July 2020, the government chose him to become a judge in the Supreme Court of Ireland. This happened after another judge retired.
The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, said that Woulfe's appointment was recommended by a board that advises on judicial appointments. Woulfe had told Leo Varadkar in February 2020 that he would apply for the Supreme Court job. He was officially appointed on July 23, 2020. He took his oath as a judge the next day.
The Oireachtas Golf Society Dinner
In August 2020, Séamus Woulfe attended a dinner. This dinner was hosted by the Oireachtas Golf Society in a hotel in County Galway. At the time, there were rules and guidelines in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The dinner caused a lot of public discussion. People wondered if it followed the rules and the spirit of the restrictions. Woulfe apologized for being there on August 21, 2020. He said the organizers were responsible for how the event was run.
Review of the Event
The Courts Service announced that former Chief Justice Susan Denham would review Woulfe's attendance. She would also suggest new guidelines for judges. Woulfe worked with lawyers during this review.
Denham's report was published on October 1, 2020. She concluded that Woulfe should not have attended the dinner. However, she also said that he did not break any laws or official guidelines. She felt that asking him to resign would be unfair. The Supreme Court judges accepted her findings.
Discussions and Outcome
After the report, the Chief Justice, Frank Clarke, met with Woulfe. Chief Justice Clarke said that all the Supreme Court judges felt that Woulfe's actions had caused "significant" damage to the Court's reputation. He suggested that Woulfe should resign.
Woulfe replied that he would not resign. He said he believed he had not broken any laws or guidelines. He also mentioned the idea of judicial independence, which means judges should be free to make decisions without outside pressure.
This disagreement between the two judges caused more public discussion. However, on November 17, 2020, the Taoiseach said the government would not take any further action against Woulfe.
In February 2022, the organizers of the dinner were found to have followed the rules. The court said they had done everything to make sure the event was safe and followed the regulations.
Court Cases as a Judge
Séamus Woulfe began his first Supreme Court sitting on February 4, 2021. He was part of a panel of three judges. His first actual hearings of cases were in the Court of Appeal later that month.
Since then, he has written important judgments for the Supreme Court. These judgments have covered different areas of law, including how courts review government decisions, planning laws, criminal laws, European Union laws, and laws about defamation (harming someone's reputation).
Personal Life
Séamus Woulfe lives in Clontarf, Dublin. He is married to Sheena Hickey, and they have two children.
