Conor Dignam
{{short description|Irish barrister, High Court judge}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Hon. Mr. Justice
| name = Conor Dignam
| image =
| office = Judge of the High Court
| term_start = 6 December 2021
| term_end =
| nominator = Government of Ireland
| appointer = Michael D. Higgins
| birth_date =
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| nationality = Irish
| party =
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| alma_mater = {{Ubl|Trinity College Dublin|King's Inns}}
| signature =
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Conor Dignam is an Irish judge and lawyer who has served as a Judge of the High Court since December 2021. He was formerly a barrister.
Early life
Dignam studied political science at Trinity College Dublin, graduating in 1992. He subsequently obtained a diploma in legal studies and trained to be a barrister at the King's Inns.{{cite web |title=Appointments to the High Court |url=https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/ce956-appointments-to-the-high-court/ |website=www.gov.ie |access-date=4 December 2021 |language=en}}
Legal career
He was called to the Bar in 1996 and became a senior counsel in 2011. He practiced in the area of public law, with specialisations in child and health law.{{cite news |title=Two new board members at CLM |url=https://www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/top-stories/2020/07-july/two-new-board-members-at-clm |access-date=4 December 2021 |work=www.lawsociety.ie |date=20 July 2020}}
The Health Service Executive appointed Dignam and Siobhán Phelan to represent interests of an unborn child in PP v. HSE in 2014.{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Noel |last2=Managh |first2=Ray |title=Unborn baby gets barrister for court battle |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20303900.html |access-date=4 December 2021 |work=Irish Examiner |date=23 December 2014 |language=en}} He acted for the Garda Síochána, Nóirín O'Sullivan and Martin Callinan at the Disclosures Tribunal.{{cite news |last1=Keena |first1=Colm |title=Charleton chairman grants representation in Garda inquiry |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/charleton-chairman-grants-representation-in-garda-inquiry-1.3035508 |access-date=4 December 2021 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}
He chaired an inquiry into the Leas Cross scandal in 2010 and was commissioned to write an investigative report arising out of the 'Grace' case.{{cite news |title=Leas Cross was not suitable for McKenna |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1015/136854-leascross/ |access-date=4 December 2021 |work=RTÉ News |date=15 October 2010 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Hegarty |first1=Aoife |title=Dignam Report Critical of the HSE |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/investigations-unit/2016/1101/828406-conor-dignam-report/ |access-date=4 December 2021 |work=RTÉ News |date=1 November 2016 |language=en}}
Outside of practice, he was appointed a board member of Community Law & Mediation in 2020 and was the vice chair of the Bar Council of Ireland. He served as chair of the Bar Council's human rights committee and was a Bar Council representative on the Superior Courts Rules Committee.{{cite speech |title=Opening |event=Joint Committee on Justice and Equality debate |date=16 January 2019 |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/joint_committee_on_justice_and_equality/2019-01-16/speech/1/ |author=Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin |authorlink=Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin |website=Oireachtas.ie |access-date=4 December 2021}}{{cite web |title=Superior Courts Rules Committee {{!}} The Courts Service of Ireland |url=https://courts.ie/superior-courts-rules-committee |website=courts.ie |access-date=4 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204140323/https://courts.ie/superior-courts-rules-committee |archive-date=4 December 2021}}
Judicial career
Dignam was one of three people nominated by the government in November 2021 to be appointed judges of the High Court.{{cite news |last1=Leahy |first1=Pat |title=Nominations of three new High Court judges to be sent to President |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/nominations-of-three-new-high-court-judges-to-be-sent-to-president-1.4743326 |access-date=4 December 2021 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}} He was appointed on 6 December 2021.{{cite web |title=Diary President Higgins Appoints Judges To The High Court December 2021 |url=https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-higgins-appoints-judges-to-the-high-court-december-2021 |website=president.ie |access-date=6 December 2021 |language=en}}
References
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Category:High Court judges (Ireland)
Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin
Category:Alumni of King's Inns