Mark Sanfey
{{short description|Irish barrister, High Court judge since 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Hon. Mr. Justice
| name = Mark Sanfey
| image =
| office = Judge of the High Court
| term_start = 2 December 2019
| term_end =
| nominator = Government of Ireland
| appointer = Michael D. Higgins
| birth_date =
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| nationality = Irish
| party =
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| education =
| alma_mater = {{Ubl|Trinity College Dublin|King's Inns}}
| signature =
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Mark Sanfey is an Irish judge and lawyer who has served as a Judge of the High Court of Ireland since December 2019. He previously practiced as a barrister specialising in insolvency and bankruptcy law.
Early life
Sanfey was educated at Trinity College Dublin and trained to be a barrister at the King's Inns.{{cite web |title=Nominations for Appointment to the High Court |url=https://merrionstreet.ie/en/News-Room/News/Nominations_for_Appointment_to_the_High_Court.html |website=merrionstreet.ie |accessdate=28 March 2021 |language=en |archive-date=16 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316104610/http://merrionstreet.ie/en/News-Room/News/Nominations_for_Appointment_to_the_High_Court.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Solicitor Mark Heslin is to become High Court judge |url=https://www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/top-stories/solicitor-mark-heslin-is-to-become-high-court-judge/ |access-date=28 March 2021 |work=www.lawsociety.ie |archive-date=17 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117123134/https://www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/top-stories/solicitor-mark-heslin-is-to-become-high-court-judge/ |url-status=live }}
Legal career
He became a barrister in 1987 and became a senior counsel in 2004. Sanfey specialised in aspects of insolvency law while in practice, including cases involving examinership, bankruptcy, receivership, and liquidation.{{cite news |title=ACC challenges Fleming survival plan |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1215/125410-fleming/ |access-date=28 March 2021 |work=RTÉ News |date=15 December 2009 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=O'Donnells liable for bankruptcy case costs |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0514/701184-odonnells-bankruptcy/ |access-date=28 March 2021 |work=RTÉ News |date=14 May 2015 |language=en |archive-date=31 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231225701/http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0514/701184-odonnells-bankruptcy/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Credit union gets receiver in €1.7m case |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/credit-union-gets-receiver-in-1-7m-case-1.1142000 |access-date=28 March 2021 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Court winds up Ardline Aircon |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/court-winds-up-ardline-aircon-1.992586 |access-date=28 March 2021 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}} He represented the former chair of Anglo Irish Bank Seán FitzPatrick in bankruptcy proceedings in 2010.{{cite news |title=Sean FitzPatrick to file for bankruptcy |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0709/133179-anglo/ |access-date=28 March 2021 |work=RTÉ News |date=9 July 2010 |language=en}}
His practice also extended to other commercial litigation, including contractual disputes.{{cite news |title=Businessman seeks €13m damages from developers |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/businessman-seeks-13m-damages-from-developers-1.1172712 |access-date=28 March 2021 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}} He appeared for Michelle Rocca in 2015 in the High Court relating to a land dispute with her neighbour.{{cite news |title=Michelle Morrison in court row with neighbours |url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2015/1007/732951-morrison-in-court-row-with-neighbours/ |access-date=28 March 2021 |work=RTÉ News |date=7 October 2015 |language=en}}
He acted for businessman Richard Lynn at the Mahon Tribunal.{{cite news |last1=Wall |first1=Martin |title=O'Herlihy tells of '€100,000 payment' |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/o-herlihy-tells-of-100-000-payment-1.1013502 |access-date=28 March 2021 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}
Outside of practice, he was a founding member of the Construction Bar Association of Ireland, for which he was chairman between 2013 and 2018.{{cite web |title=CBA Executive Committee |url=https://www.cba-ireland.com/cba-committee/ |website=CBAI |access-date=28 March 2021 |archive-date=5 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305074214/https://www.cba-ireland.com/cba-committee/ |url-status=live }} In 1991, he co-authored "Bankruptcy Law and Practice in Ireland", with a second edition published in 2010.{{cite book |last1=Sanfey |first1=Mark |last2=Holohan |first2=Bill |title=Bankruptcy law and practice in Ireland |date=1991 |publisher=Round Hall Press |location=Dublin |isbn=0947686657}}{{cite book |last1=Sanfey |first1=Mark |last2=Holohan |first2=Bill |title=Bankruptcy law and practice |date=2010 |publisher=Thomson Reuters (Round Hall) |location=Dublin |isbn=978-1858005744 |edition=2nd}}
Judicial career
Sanfey was appointed to the High Court of Ireland in December 2019.{{cite web |title=Diary President Appoints Judges To The Supreme Court And The High Court Dec 2019 |url=https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-appoints-judges-to-the-supreme-court-and-the-high-court-dec-2019 |website=president.ie |accessdate=28 March 2021 |language=en |archive-date=10 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210040750/https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-appoints-judges-to-the-supreme-court-and-the-high-court-dec-2019 |url-status=live }} He has heard cases involving bankruptcy, insolvency law, injunctions, judicial review, and professional misconduct.{{cite news |title=Court refuses to approve insolvency for car salesman |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2021/0209/1196084-court-refuses-to-approve-insolvency-for-car-salesman/ |access-date=28 March 2021 |work=RTÉ News |date=9 February 2021 |language=en |archive-date=11 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211160040/https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2021/0209/1196084-court-refuses-to-approve-insolvency-for-car-salesman/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Court action launched to prevent care home closure |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2020/0908/1163993-st-marys-high-court/ |access-date=28 March 2021 |work=RTÉ News |date=8 September 2020 |language=en |archive-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923030408/https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2020/0908/1163993-st-marys-high-court/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Ticket selling firm's €318,000 fraud claim in court |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/1218/1185342-ticket-court-fraud/ |access-date=28 March 2021 |work=RTÉ News |date=18 December 2020 |language=en |archive-date=6 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106035627/https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/1218/1185342-ticket-court-fraud/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Covid-19 restrictions challenged in High Court |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2020/0415/1130727-covid-19-restrictions-challenged-in-high-court/ |access-date=28 March 2021 |work=RTÉ News |date=15 April 2020 |language=en |archive-date=15 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415070148/https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2020/0415/1130727-covid-19-restrictions-challenged-in-high-court/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Court confirms Medical Council decision to sanction GP |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2020/0430/1135919-courts-gp-censure/ |access-date=28 March 2021 |work=RTÉ News |date=30 April 2020 |language=en |archive-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923030350/https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2020/0430/1135919-courts-gp-censure/ |url-status=live }} He replaced Denis McDonald as the High Court's designated judge hearing personal insolvency matters.{{cite web |title=Stakeholder e-Brief |url=https://www.isi.gov.ie/en/ISI/January%202020%20e-brief.pdf/Files/January%202020%20e-brief.pdf |website=gov.ie |publisher=Insolvency Service of Ireland |access-date=28 March 2021 |date=January 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923030427/https://www.isi.gov.ie/en/ISI/January%202020%20e-brief.pdf/Files/January%202020%20e-brief.pdf |url-status=live }} As of 2021, he is the judge appointed to oversee arbitration cases in the High Court.{{cite web |title=High Court - Assignment of Judges – Michaelmas Term 2021 {{!}} The Courts Service of Ireland |url=https://www.courts.ie/news/high-court-assignment-judges-%E2%80%93-michaelmas-term-2021 |website=www.courts.ie |access-date=4 October 2021}}