Úna Ní Raifeartaigh facts for kids

Úna Ní Raifeartaigh is an important Irish judge and lawyer. She has been a Judge of the European Court of Human Rights since July 2024. This court helps protect human rights across Europe.

Before this, she was a judge in Ireland. She served on the Court of Appeal from 2019 to 2024. She was also a judge on the High Court from 2016 to 2019. Before becoming a judge, she was a top lawyer and a legal expert. She knows a lot about criminal law and how evidence is used in court.

Early Life and Education

Úna Ní Raifeartaigh was born to Lochlainn O'Raifeartaigh and Treasa Donnelly. She went to University College Dublin (UCD). She earned a law degree (BCL) from UCD in 1988. She also studied at the King's Inns, which is a place where lawyers train.

From 1988 to 1991, she worked at the Law Reform Commission. This group helps update and improve laws. Later, she taught criminal law at Trinity College Dublin. She held this teaching job from 1991 to 1995. Famous people like Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson also held this position.

Her Career as a Lawyer

Úna Ní Raifeartaigh became a barrister in 1993. A barrister is a lawyer who argues cases in court. In 2009, she became a senior counsel. This means she was a very experienced and respected lawyer.

She mostly worked on criminal law cases. Criminal law deals with crimes and their punishments. She often worked for the Director of Public Prosecutions. This meant she helped the government bring cases against people accused of crimes. She worked on many important criminal cases. She also helped gather evidence and question witnesses for a special committee in the Irish parliament.

She also worked as a defence lawyer in criminal trials. This means she helped people who were accused of crimes. She has argued cases in the European Court of Human Rights. This shows her experience on an international level.

She was also a director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. This group works to protect people's rights. She also led a board that looked at private security services. She has written books about the law of evidence in Ireland. She also helped start the Criminal Law Forum, which is a group for people interested in criminal law.

Her Career as a Judge

Úna Ní Raifeartaigh became a judge of the High Court in September 2016. In this role, she heard many different types of cases. These included cases about criminal law and the Irish Constitution. She also heard cases about road traffic rules and requests to review government decisions.

One important case she oversaw involved Denis O'Brien in 2017. This case was about statements made in the Irish parliament, called Dáil Éireann. She decided that judges could not interfere with what politicians said in parliament. This is because politicians have special protection called parliamentary privilege. Her decision was later supported by the highest court in Ireland, the Supreme Court.

She also served as a special judge for Ireland in the European Court of Human Rights. This was before her permanent appointment.

In November 2019, she became a judge of the Court of Appeal. More judges were added to this court around that time. She is also a professor at Maynooth University.