Dame Siobhan Keegan | |
---|---|
Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland [1] [2] | |
Assumed office 2 September 2021 | |
Nominated by | Boris Johnson |
Appointed by | Elizabeth II |
Preceded by | Sir Declan Morgan |
Personal details | |
Born | June 6, 1971 |
Citizenship | United Kingdom |
Residence | Northern Ireland |
Education | Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland |
Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast |
Occupation | Jurist |
Profession | Law |
Awards |
QC (2006) DBE (2015) |
Dame Siobhan Roisin Keegan DBE (born 6 June 1971) is a Northern Irish judge who has been Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland [3] [4] (styled Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland) since September 2021. [5] She was formerly a judge of the High Court of Northern Ireland from October 2015 until her appointment as Lord Chief Justice, prior to which, she practised as a barrister specialising in family law.
Keegan was educated at St. Clare's Primary School and Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland. [6] [7]
She studied law at Queen's University Belfast and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in July 1993. After further study, she was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in September 1994. [7]
Keegan became a barrister when she was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in September 1994. [7] She specialised in family law but has also had experience in criminal law and judicial review. [6]
She was made a Queen's Counsel (QC) in June 2006. [7] Between 2011 and 2013, she served as Chair of the Family Bar Association. [7] In 2014, she was elected Vice Chair of the Bar Council of Northern Ireland. [8]
For each of the financial years from 2013 to 2015, Keegan was the fourth-highest-earning barrister in Northern Ireland in terms of legal aid, having received £504,177 in 2012/2013, [9] £513,405 in 2013/2014, [10] and £427,632 in 2014/2015. [11]
On 23 October 2015, Keegan was appointed a judge of the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland. [6] [12] She was sworn into office by Sir Declan Morgan, the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, at the same time as Denise McBride. [13] This made Keegan and McBride jointly the first female high court judges of Northern Ireland. [6] [8]
On 23 November 2015, she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). [14]
On 16 June 2021, Keegan was nominated to be Northern Ireland's first female Lord Chief Justice. [15] [16] She was sworn in as Lord Chief Justice [3] [4] at a ceremony on 2 September 2021. [5]
On 29 September 2021, Keegan became a member of the Privy Council. [17]