Séamus Henchy facts for kids

Séamus Anthony Henchy (born December 6, 1917 – died April 5, 2009) was an important Irish judge. He also worked as a lawyer and a university teacher. He served as a judge in the Supreme Court of Ireland from 1972 to 1988. Many of his decisions helped shape the laws of Ireland, especially those based on the Irish Constitution.

Séamus Henchy was born in County Clare. He studied law and Irish history and culture (called Celtic studies) in Galway and Dublin. He earned a special advanced degree (a PhD) in Celtic studies in 1943. After becoming a lawyer, he was appointed to the High Court in 1962. He was the judge for a very important national trial in 1970. Later, in 1972, he became a judge in the Supreme Court. He was known for his strong opinions in major cases like McGee v. The Attorney General, Cahill v. Sutton, Norris v. Attorney General, and Crotty v. An Taoiseach. He passed away in 2009.

Early Life and Education

Séamus Henchy was born in 1917 in Corofin, County Clare. His parents, Patrick and Margaret, ran a shop. He was one of seven children. He went to primary school in Corofin. For secondary school, he attended St Mary's College, Galway.

He started his university studies at University College Galway. There, he earned a degree in Celtic studies, which is the study of the history, languages, and cultures of Celtic peoples. He then studied for more degrees at the same time. He worked on a master's degree in Galway and a law degree (LL.B.) at University College Dublin. He also trained to become a lawyer at the King's Inns. In 1943, he completed his PhD at University College Dublin. His research was about old Irish laws, specifically on the topic of "fosterage," which was a way children were raised by people who were not their parents. He also published a book in 1947 called Miscellaneous Irish annals, using his Irish name, Séamus Ó hInnse.

Becoming a Lawyer

Séamus Henchy became a lawyer, or "barrister," in 1943. A barrister is a type of lawyer who represents people in court. He mostly worked in the west of Ireland. In 1959, he became a "senior counsel," which is a more experienced and respected type of barrister. He handled many different kinds of cases, including civil cases (disputes between people or groups) and cases where he represented the government.

While working as a lawyer, he also taught law part-time at University College Dublin. He taught subjects like Roman law (laws from ancient Rome), jurisprudence (the study of law and legal systems), and legal history. He wrote articles for important law journals. For example, he wrote about "The Communist Theory of Law" in 1957. He was also the first Irish teacher to have an article published in the Modern Law Review, a well-known legal magazine.

High Court Judge

Séamus Henchy began his career as a judge in 1962. He was appointed to the High Court. This court handles many important cases for the first time. He oversaw many cases involving personal injuries. He was also one of three judges who heard a significant case called State (Nicolaou) v. An Bord Uchtála.

In 1970, he was the judge in a very important national trial. This trial was related to a major political event in Ireland at the time. The case was so significant that he needed police protection around the clock.

In 1965, he led a special group called a commission. This group was put together by the International Commission of Jurists. Their job was to look into claims of unfair treatment in the public service of Guyana, a country in South America. The commission found that unfair treatment had indeed happened. He also led another group called the Mental Illness Commission.

Supreme Court Judge

In 1972, Séamus Henchy was promoted to the Supreme Court of Ireland. This is the highest court in Ireland. During the 1970s, he often led the Court of Criminal Appeal, which reviews decisions from criminal trials.

He is best known for his time on the Supreme Court because it was a period when many important cases about the Irish Constitution were decided. He was known for his fair and modern views on social issues. He believed that the law should protect people's personal privacy and individual rights.

He wrote a strong opinion in 1980 in the case of Cahill v. Sutton. This decision helped set the rules for who has the right to bring a case to court in Ireland. He also helped make decisions that gave people the right to get legal help if they couldn't afford it in criminal trials. In the case of Crotty v. An Taoiseach, he helped decide that Ireland needed to hold a public vote (a referendum) before adding new European Union treaties to Irish law.

He retired from the Supreme Court in October 1988.

Other Important Roles

After his time as a judge, Séamus Henchy continued to serve Ireland in other ways. In 1974, he was part of a group called the Anglo-Irish Commission on Law Enforcement. This group was formed after an important agreement called the Sunningdale Agreement.

He also led a committee that wrote a report in 1978. This report later became the basis for a law in 2006 that changed how the law deals with mental illness in criminal cases. It also introduced the idea of "diminished responsibility" in Ireland, which means a person might not be fully responsible for their actions if their mental state is affected.

In 1988, he became the first chairperson of the Independent Radio and Television Commission. This group was in charge of giving out the first licenses for commercial radio stations in Ireland. He left this job a year early to take on this new role.

His Impact

Séamus Henchy received special honors for his work. He was given honorary doctorates (special degrees) by Trinity College Dublin in 1990 and by NUI Galway in 1999. At the ceremony in Galway, he was called "one of the most outstanding judges and legal experts of 20th-century Ireland."

When he passed away, the Irish Independent newspaper said he was "one of the country's most respected and influential judges." The Times newspaper noted that his legal decisions were written in a beautiful and clear style. Another legal expert, Gerard Hogan, believed that Séamus Henchy was one of Ireland's "greatest judges."

In 2020, the Chief Justice of Ireland, Frank Clarke, wrote a Supreme Court decision. In it, he said he fully agreed with Séamus Henchy's ideas about how to understand rights that are not directly written in the Constitution.

Personal Life

Séamus Henchy was married to Averil Graney. He lived in Monkstown, County Dublin. He was also a member of the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

He passed away at the age of 91 in April 2009. Many important people attended his funeral. These included the Chief Justice of Ireland John L. Murray, the Attorney General of Ireland Paul Gallagher, and special assistants to the President of Ireland and the Taoiseach (Ireland's Prime Minister). He is buried at Shanganagh Cemetery.