Anthony J. Hederman

Irish judge and barrister (1921–2014)

Anthony J. Hederman
Judge of the Supreme Court
In office
1 July 1981 – 14 January 1993
Nominated byGovernment of Ireland
Appointed byPatrick Hillery
18th Attorney General of Ireland
In office
6 July 1977 – 29 June 1981
TaoiseachJack Lynch
Charles Haughey
Preceded byJohn M. Kelly
Succeeded byPeter Sutherland
Personal details
Born(1921-08-11)11 August 1921
Naas, County Kildare, Ireland
Died10 January 2014(2014-01-10) (aged 92)
Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland
Political partyFianna Fáil
EducationCastleknock College
Alma mater
  • University College Dublin
  • King's Inns

Anthony James Hederman (11 August 1921 – 10 January 2014) was an Irish judge and barrister who served as a Judge of the Supreme Court from 1981 to 1993 and Attorney General of Ireland from 1977 to 1981.

Early life

He was born on 11 August 1921 in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland.[1] He was educated at Castleknock College, a private Roman Catholic boys' school in Dublin where he developed a useful network of contacts.[2][3] His contemporaries at school included the future Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave.[4] He went on to obtain an honours degree in legal and political science from University College Dublin. He was a member of Fianna Fáil and for a time in the 1960s was joint Honorary Treasurer of the party (along with Neil Blaney).[citation needed]

Legal career

Hederman was called to the Bar in 1944.[5] He mainly undertook prosecutions and other State work.[1] He was Attorney General of Ireland from July 1977 to June 1981.[6] In 1981, he was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland and served there until 1993. He was the sole dissenter in the X Case judgement. He was later appointed as the president of the Law Reform Commission.[7] He died in 2014. After his death the UCD Student Legal Service society named its annual moot court competition in honour of the late Mr Justice Hederman.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b "Mr Justice Anthony Hederman". The Times. 21 January 2014. Archived from the original on 10 May 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  2. ^ O'Regan, Michael (15 January 2014). "Legal life of the late Anthony Hederman was 'a vocation'". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  3. ^ "Anthony Hederman". Independent.ie. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Anthony Hederman". Independent.ie. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  5. ^ Hand, Lise (15 January 2014). "Judge Anthony Hederman hailed as 'quiet hero' at funeral Mass". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Gallery of previous Attorneys General - 1954 to 1981". Office of the Attorney General. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  7. ^ "Hederman's term extended". The Irish Times. 10 October 1997. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  8. ^ "HEDERMAN, Justice Anthony: Death notice". The Irish Times. 12 January 2014.
Legal offices
Preceded by
John Kelly
 Attorney General of Ireland
1977–1981 		Succeeded by
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Irish Free State
Ireland