Patricia Ryan (judge)

{{short description|Irish judge}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=February 2022}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Hon. Ms. Justice

| name = Patricia Ryan

| image =

| office = President of the Circuit Court

| term_start = 13 July 2019

| term_end =

| nominator = Government of Ireland

| appointer = Michael D. Higgins

| predecessor = Raymond Groarke

| office1 = Judge of the Circuit Court

| term_start1 = 2 July 2002

| term_end1 =

| nominator1 = Government of Ireland

| appointer1 = Mary McAleese

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = Irish

| party =

| spouse = {{marriage|Brian Lenihan Jnr|1987|2011|reason=died}}

| children = 2

| education =

| alma_mater = {{Ubl|University College Dublin|King's Inns}}

| signature =

|}}

Patricia Ryan is an Irish judge who has served as President of the Circuit Court since 2019 and a Judge of the Circuit Court since July 2002.

Early life

Ryan attended University College Dublin and the King's Inns. She was called to the Irish Bar in 1984.{{cite web |title=Nomination of a Judge of the Court of Appeal, a President of the Circuit Court and a President of the District Court |url=https://merrionstreet.ie/en/category-index/crime-justice/nomination_of_a_judge_of_the_court_of_appeal_a_president_of_the_circuit_court_and_a_president_of_the_district_court.148991.shortcut.html |website=merrionstreet.ie |access-date=5 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105124955/https://merrionstreet.ie/en/category-index/crime-justice/nomination_of_a_judge_of_the_court_of_appeal_a_president_of_the_circuit_court_and_a_president_of_the_district_court.148991.shortcut.html |archive-date=5 January 2022 |language=en}} She acted in cases including those involving personal injuries.{{cite news |title=Brother to share crash damages |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/brother-to-share-crash-damages-1.28921 |access-date=5 January 2022 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}{{cite news |title=£10,000 award for broken nose |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/10-000-award-for-broken-nose-1.50947 |access-date=5 January 2022 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}

She was appointed a vice-chairperson of the Employment Appeals Tribunal in 1998 and was re-appointed in 2001.{{cite web |title=Written Answers. - Ministerial Appointments |date=9 October 2002 |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2002-10-09/113/ |website=Oireachtas |access-date=5 January 2022}}

Judicial career

= Circuit Court =

Ryan was nominated to the Circuit Court in June 2002 and appointed in July 2002.{{cite news |last1=Coulter |first1=Carol |title=Nine new judges named include a solicitor |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/nine-new-judges-named-include-a-solicitor-1.1062037 |access-date=5 January 2022 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}{{cite web |title=No. 54 – 749 |url=https://www.irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2002/july/2002%2007%2005%20IO%20Issue.pdf |publisher=Iris Oifigiúil |access-date=5 January 2022 |date=5 July 2002}} She has presided over criminal law trials involving dangerous driving, manslaughter, fraud, sexual offences, theft, harassment, health and safety law, and drugs offences.{{cite news |last1=Traynor |first1=Vivienne |title=Man sentenced for dangerous driving causing death |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2018/0511/962795-david-byrne-dangerous-driving/ |access-date=5 January 2022 |work=RTÉ News |date=11 May 2018 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Manslaughter jury warned over media coverage |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0501/614323-stephen-hughes/ |access-date=5 January 2022 |work=RTÉ News |date=1 May 2014 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Dutch man jailed over €200,000 social welfare fraud |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2019/0726/1065446-social-welfare/ |access-date=5 January 2022 |work=RTÉ News |date=26 July 2019 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Man pleads guilty to six sexual offences against girl |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0307/857805-sexual-offences-court/ |access-date=5 January 2022 |work=RTÉ News |date=7 March 2017 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Former solicitor jailed for stealing from clients |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1208/837482-solicitor/ |access-date=5 January 2022 |work=RTÉ News |date=8 December 2016 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Man gets five years for harassment |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-gets-five-years-for-harassment-1.932893 |access-date=5 January 2022 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Builders fined €10,000 over unsafe machine |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/builders-fined-10000-over-unsafe-machine-28821195.html |access-date=5 January 2022 |work=independent |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Cocaine plea |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/cocaine-plea-27797265.html |access-date=5 January 2022 |work=independent |language=en}}

She sat on the Special Criminal Court.{{cite news |title=Two men appear in court charged with IRA membership |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0803/895087-ira-membership/ |access-date=5 January 2022 |work=RTÉ News |date=3 August 2017 |language=en}}

= President of the Circuit Court =

She became the President of the Circuit Court in July 2019.{{cite web |title=No. 59 – 1047 |url=https://www.irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2019/july/Ir230719.pdf |publisher=Iris Oifigiúil |access-date=5 January 2022 |date=23 July 2019}}{{cite web |title=Annual Report 2019 |url=http://www.jaab.ie/en/JAAB/JAAB%20Annual%20Report%202019%20FINAL%2011.06.pdf/Files/JAAB%20Annual%20Report%202019%20FINAL%2011.06.pdf |publisher=JAAB |access-date=5 January 2022}}

Personal life

Ryan married Brian Lenihan Jnr in 1987 with whom she had two children. Lenihan died in 2011.{{cite news |title=Brian Lenihan: a life in politics |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/brian-lenihan-a-life-in-politics-1.878049 |access-date=5 January 2022 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Maume |first1=Patrick |title=Lenihan, Brian |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/lenihan-brian-a9907 |publisher=Dictionary of Irish Biography |access-date=5 January 2022 |date=March 2021}}

References