Michael Moriarty (judge)

Michael Moriarty
Judge of the High Court
In office 11 March 1996 – 23 November 2018
Nominated by	Government of Ireland
Appointed by	Mary Robinson
Judge of the Circuit Court
In office 13 January 1987 – 11 March 1996
Nominated by	Government of Ireland
Appointed by	Patrick Hillery
Personal details
Born	(1946-08-10) 10 August 1946 (age 78) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Spouses	Mary Irvine (div.) Doreen Delahunty
Children	3
Education	Blackrock College
Alma mater	University College Dublin King's Inns

Michael Anthony Moriarty, SC (born 10 August 1946) is a retired Irish judge who served as a Judge of the High Court from 1996 to 2018 and a Judge of the Circuit Court from 1987 to 1996.

Early life and career

Michael Moriarty was born in Belfast to James and Nora Moriarty.[1] He moved to Dublin in 1960 and was educated at Blackrock College, University College Dublin and King's Inns.[2] He was called to the Irish Bar in 1968, and became a Senior Counsel in March 1982.[1] He specialised in criminal law at the bar.[3]

He was appointed Chairman of the Employment Appeals Tribunal in 1986.[2]

Judicial career

He became a Circuit Court judge in 1987. He was subsequently appointed a High Court judge in March 1996.[2] He was the chairperson of the Lord Mayor's Commission on Crime.[3]

He is best known as Chair of the Moriarty Tribunal, which he chaired between 1997 and 2010.[3] The Tribunal investigated the financial affairs of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey and former Minister Michael Lowry.[4] The first report, in 2006, found that Haughey had misappropriated funds.[5] The second report, delivered in 2011, found that Lowry had shared information with Denis O'Brien "of significant value and assistance" to aid in the awarding of a mobile telephone licence.[6]

He retired in April 2018, following 31 years as a judge.[3]

Personal life

He was formerly married to Mary Irvine, with whom he has three children.[7] He subsequently married Doreen Delahunty.[3]

References

1. "Five called to Inner Bar". The Irish Times. 6 March 1962. p. 8.
2. "Name: Mr Justice Michael Moriarty". The Irish Times. 29 January 1999. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
3. Carolan, Mary. "Tributes paid to Mr Justice Michael Moriarty on retirement". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
4. "Tributes as Justice Moriarty retires". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
5. "Bungs, blank cheques and the Boss: final verdict delivered on Haughey's corruption". The Guardian. 20 December 2006. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
6. "Moriarty Tribunal publishes final report". RTÉ News. 22 March 2011. Archived from the original on 9 April 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
7. Leahy, Pat. "Ms Justice Mary Irvine to be promoted to the Supreme Court". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2020.