Sir John Gillen, PC (born 18 November 1947[1]), previously known as The Rt Hon Lord Justice Gillen, and before that as Mr Justice Gillen, is a Privy Councillor and was one of the Lords Justices of Appeal of Northern Ireland, from September 2014-November 2017.[1][2][3]
Sir John Gillen | |
|---|---|
| Lord Justice of Appeal | |
| In office September 2014 – November 2017 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Gillen 18 November 1947 |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Queen's College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Solicitor, High Court judge |
Education edit
Gillen attended Cregagh Primary School, then the Methodist College, Belfast, and Queen's College, Oxford.[4]
Career edit
He was called to the bar in 1970 and became Queen's Counsel in 1983.[1][4]
He was appointed as a High Court judge in Belfast, replacing Lord Justice MacDermott, on the latter's retirement.[4] Gillen was sworn in before the then Lord Chief Justice, Sir Robert Carswell, on 6 January 1999.[4] He was awarded the customary knighthood upon his appointment to the High Court.
He was appointed to Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council in November 2014.[5]
In 2016, an off-duty police officer who was representing himself in a house repossession case against Santander that Gillen was hearing tried to arrest him.[6] The officer was himself arrested, on suspicion of common assault, but was released without charge.[6] The police officer was nevertheless sentenced, by Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, to three months jail for contempt of court, with the possibility of release after 28 days if he apologised.[7][8]
From 2015 to 2017, he conducted a review of Civil and Family Justice in Northern Ireland.[9][10][11]
Personal life edit
Gillan is married and has two daughters.[4]
References edit
- ^ a b c "The Rt Hon Lord Justice Gillen". Debrett's. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016.
- ^ "Completed Recruitment Schemes". Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015.
5 September 2014 - Her Majesty the Queen has appointed The Honourable Mr Justice Gillen as a Lord Justice of Appeal in Northern Ireland.
- ^ "Salaried Judicial Complement (as at 7 September 2015)". Judiciary of Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 21 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Leading lawyer appointed judge". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ "Privy Council appointments: November 2014" (Press release). Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 20 November 2014.
- ^ a b Archer, Bimpe (23 January 2016). "Judge's police minders 'not in court' during confrontation". The Irish News. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ Erwin, Alan (19 February 2016). "Police officer who attempted to arrest senior judge was 'driven by self importance', court heard". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ "Jailed officer refused leave to appeal". BBC News. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ "Civil and Family Justice Review". Jusiciary NI. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ "Lord Justice Gillen's Review of Civil and Family Justice". NICVA. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ Fergus, Lindsay. "Lord Justice Gillen answers our questions". The Detail. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
