William Binchy facts for kids

William Binchy is a well-known Irish lawyer. He used to be a very important professor, called the Regius Professor of Laws, at Trinity College Dublin. He held this special job from 1992 to 2012.

William Binchy's Education

William Binchy studied at University College Dublin. After his studies, he became a Barrister-at-Law. This means he was a lawyer who could argue cases in court. He worked as a barrister in Ireland from 1968 to 1970.

William Binchy's Work as a Lawyer

William Binchy has had many important roles. He was a special advisor for the Irish Law Reform Commission. This group helps to update and improve laws in Ireland. He also gave legal advice to the Department of Justice on family law.

He worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs. He even represented Ireland at big international meetings. These meetings were about private international law. This type of law deals with legal issues that involve more than one country.

Professor Binchy is also a member of the Irish Human Rights Commission. This group works to protect people's rights in Ireland. He is an expert in different areas of law. These include private international law, the law of torts, and family law. The law of torts deals with civil wrongs, like when someone causes harm to another person.

In 2010, he received a special honor. He was made an Honorary Bencher of the Honourable Society of King's Inns. This is a very old and respected group for lawyers in Ireland.

Involvement in Public Debates

Professor Binchy has been involved in several public discussions. These discussions were about possible changes to the Constitution of Ireland. The Constitution is the main set of rules for the country.

He took part in campaigns about:

• Changes to the law about divorce in Ireland. He was against introducing it in 1986, which was successful. He was also against it in 1995, but it was introduced that time.
• A change to who automatically gets Irish citizenship. He was against restricting this right for people born on the island of Ireland. This change was made in 2004.
• The Marriage Equality Bill 2015. This bill was about allowing same-sex marriage. He was against it, but the bill passed.

Since 2012, William Binchy has returned to working as a barrister. He also holds a special title. He is now a Professor Emeritus at Trinity College Dublin. This means he is a retired professor who is still highly respected by the university.

William Binchy's Family

William Binchy comes from a well-known family. His uncle was the historian D. A. Binchy. His sister was the famous novelist Maeve Binchy. His daughter, Sarah Binchy, is a producer for RTÉ. She also used to be an editor for the College Tribune newspaper.