Nisha Rathode (Editor)

Brian Kerr, Baron Kerr of Tonaghmore

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Monarch
  
Elizabeth II

Preceded by
  
Lord Carswell

Spouse
  
Gillian Kerr

Appointed by
  
Elizabeth II

Role
  
Justice


Preceded by
  
Lord Carswell

Name
  
Brian Baron

Preceded by
  
Position created

Nationality
  
British

Succeeded by
  
Declan Morgan

Brian Kerr, Baron Kerr of Tonaghmore

Born
  
22 February 1948 (age 76) (
1948-02-22
)

Education
  
St Colman's College, Newry, Queen's University Belfast

Similar People
  
Jonathan Mance - Baron Ma, David Hope - Baron Ho, Robert Walker - Baron Wa, Alan Rodger - Baron Ro

Brian Francis Kerr, Baron Kerr of Tonaghmore, (born 22 February 1948) is a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. He pronounces his name to rhyme with "Cur".

Contents

Early life

Brian Kerr was born on 22 February 1948 to James William Kerr and Kathleen Rose (née Murray) Kerr, of Lurgan, County Armagh.

He was educated at St Colman's College, Newry and read law at Queen's University Belfast. He was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1970, and to the Bar of England and Wales at Gray's Inn in 1974. He took silk in 1983 and became a member of the King's Inns in 1990, and an Honorary Bencher of Gray's Inn in 1997 and the King's Inns in 2004. He served as Junior Crown Counsel (Common Law) from 1978 to 1983 and Senior Crown Counsel from 1988 to 1993.

Judicial career

In 1993, Brian Kerr was appointed a Judge of the High Court and knighted, and in 2004 was appointed Lord Chief Justice and sworn of the Privy Council.

As is tradition for the Lord Chief Justice, he succeeded Lord Carswell as the Northern Irish Lord of Appeal in Ordinary upon the latter's retirement.

On 29 June 2009, he was created Baron Kerr of Tonaghmore, of Tonaghmore in the County of Down, and was introduced to the House of Lords the same day. He was the last person to be appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (and therefore the last to be given a law life peerage under the 1876 Act), and on 1 October 2009 he became one of the inaugural Justices of the new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. He was also the youngest member, at age 63. He was succeeded as Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland on 3 July 2009 by Sir Declan Morgan.

Lord Kerr dissented from the controversial judgment of the Supreme Court in R v Gnango, in which the court held that a person could be an accessory to their own murder.

In 2014, Ulster University awarded Lord Kerr an honorary doctorate in law.

Selected cases

  • The Public Prosecution Service v William Elliott and Robert McKee [2013] UKSC 32
  • Personal life

    He is married to Gillian, Lady Kerr (née Widdowson) and has two sons. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic but his religious affiliation is private.

    References

    Brian Kerr, Baron Kerr of Tonaghmore Wikipedia