Declan Morgan Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Right Honourable
Sir Declan Morgan
Office:Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland
Term Start:3 July 2009
Term End:1 September 2021
Nominator:Gordon Brown
Appointer:Elizabeth II
Predecessor:Sir Brian Kerr
Successor:Dame Siobhan Keegan
Birth Name:Charles Declan Morgan
Birth Date:14 January 1951
Birth Place:Derry, Northern Ireland
Spouse:Adrienne Morgan
Children:3
Alma Mater:Peterhouse, Cambridge
Queen's University, Belfast
Profession:Barrister

Sir Charles Declan Morgan PC (born 14 January 1951) is a retired judge from Northern Ireland.[1]

Early life

Morgan was born in 1951 and was educated at St Columb's College in Derry. He then was educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, and Queen's University, Belfast.[2] He was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1976 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1994. Between 2002 and 2004, he was Senior Crown Counsel for Northern Ireland.[3] He also served for a time as Judge-In-Residence at the School of Law of Queen's University Belfast.[4]

Judicial career

In 2004, Morgan was appointed a judge of the High Court and knighted. He became Chairman of the Law Reform Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland that same year, and in 2007 was appointed Chairman of the Northern Ireland Law Commission.[5] In 2007, he was appointed to the Family Division of the Court, and in 2008 moved to hearing cases for judicial review.[3]

On 18 June 2009, it was announced that Mr Justice Morgan would succeed Sir Brian Kerr as Lord Chief Justice following the latter's appointment as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.[5] He was sworn into office on 3 July 2009.[6]

On 10 February 2010, Morgan was sworn of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council.

Personal life

Sir Declan is married with three children.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: First Lady Chief Justice sworn into office. 2 September 2021.
  2. Web site: MORGAN, Hon. Sir (Charles) Declan. Oxford University Press. December 2008. 4 July 2009.
  3. News: Morgan set to become North's chief justice. The Irish Times. 6 June 2009. 4 July 2009.
  4. Web site: The Honourable Mr Justice Morgan . Queen's University Belfast . 4 July 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090523113938/http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofLaw/Staff/TheHonourableMrJusticeMorgan/ . 23 May 2009 .
  5. Web site: Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland . 10 Downing Street . 18 June 2009 . 4 July 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110713041122/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page19681 . 13 July 2011 .
  6. Web site: New Lord Chief Justice appointed. UTV News. 3 July 2009. 4 July 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20110725005710/http://www.u.tv/News/New-Lord-Chief-Justice-appointed/e820733c-6bf3-4347-910d-f2a47ae5e3a6. 25 July 2011. dead.