Thomas Teevan (attorney general) facts for kids

Thomas Teevan (born 12 May 1903 – died 8 June 1976) was an important Irish lawyer and judge. He served as a judge in the High Court from 1954 to 1971. Before that, he was the Attorney General of Ireland from 1953 to 1954.

Early Life and Career

Thomas Teevan was born in County Cavan, Ireland. He was the second son of Dr. Francis Teevan and his wife Anne. His family later moved to Dundalk. There, he went to the Christian Brothers School. After school, he studied at University College Dublin.

Becoming a Lawyer

Thomas first became a solicitor in 1925. A solicitor is a type of lawyer who advises clients and prepares legal documents. Later, in 1936, he became a barrister. A barrister is a lawyer who speaks and argues cases in court. By 1946, he was made a Senior Counsel. This means he was a very experienced and respected barrister.

Moving into Politics

In 1948, Thomas Teevan tried to get elected in the general election, but he was not successful. However, in 1953, Éamon de Valera, who was the leader of the government, chose him to be the Attorney General of Ireland. The Attorney General is the main legal advisor to the government.

Time as a Judge

Thomas Teevan served as Attorney General for a short time. In 1954, he was appointed as a judge of the High Court. This is one of the most important courts in Ireland. He worked as a High Court judge until 1971. He passed away in 1976.

Notable Cases

One of his first and most remembered cases as a judge involved the writer Patrick Kavanagh. Kavanagh had sued a magazine called the Leader. Many people were very interested in this case. They would wait for hours just to get a chance to watch the court proceedings.

Thomas Teevan was known for being an expert on "rights of way." These are legal rights that allow people to cross someone else's land, like a public path. He once said that dealing with these cases didn't make him think better of human nature. In a case called Connell v. Porter in 1967, he described the actions of the people involved as "disgusting." He also made a famous comment about how people often demand their own rights but don't respect the rights and feelings of others.

Family Life

Thomas Teevan was married to Gertrude McCall (1904–2001) in 1928. They had two sons named Diarmuid and Richard. He was also the uncle of the well-known journalist Kevin Myers. Kevin Myers remembered his uncle as a "gentleman, scholarly and kind."