High Court Judge – Dromcollogher/Broadford native Siobhán Stack was sworn in as a High Court Judge by Chief Justice Frank Clarke in the presence of the President of the High Court, Ms. Justice Mary Irvine, in a ceremony in the Supreme Court on Friday March 26th last. The newly appointed judge is a daughter of Paddy and the late Kathleen Stack, of Springfield, Dromcollogher. A past pupil of Broadford National School and Mount Trenchard, Foynes she studied law at UCC before undertaking a Masters at the University of Cambridge and originally lectured at UCD while qualifying as a barrister at the Kings Inns. She was called to the Bar in 1995, commenced practice in 1996, and became a Senior Counsel in October 2013.
In a notice from the Department of the Taoiseach recently it was announced that the Government has nominated Siobhán Stack S.C. for appointment as an Ordinary Judge to the High Court by the President of Ireland. Appointment as a High Court judge is a magnificent accolade and honour for this local woman who was first called to the bar in 1995. This elevation is testament to Siobhán’s acumen and the high regard in which she is held by the legal community in this country. It is the culmination of career-long dedication to work and study. Siobhán has studied at University College Cork, University of Cambridge, and Kings Inns. She joined the Inner Bar in 2013 and her practice as a barrister spanned all aspects of Irish constitutional and administrative law, the European Convention on Human Rights, and several areas of EU law, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights. She has particular expertise in relation to judicial review, international protection, citizenship, immigration, Articles 3, 5 and 8 ECHR, European Arrest Warrants and the Mental Health Acts. Siobhán grew up in Springfield, Dromcollogher with her siblings Elizabeth, John and Patricia. While this latest honour will be a source of great pride and celebration for the family, particularly her father Paddy, it will be tinged with some sense of sadness that Siobhán’s mother Kathleen, who passed away just over a year ago, is not around to cherish this wonderful achievement. Congratulations to the Honourable Justice Stack.