Prosecutor behind some of Ireland's highest profile murder cases appointed High Court judge

It’s one of the first appointments via the new independent commission for appointing judges.

THE BARRISTER WHO led the prosecutions of some of the country’s highest profile murder cases of recent years has been appointed to the High Court.

Sean Gillane was appointed as a High Court judge by President Michael D Higgins at a ceremony today.

The ceremony also saw Alexander Owens, who was a judge of the High Court, appointed to now serve on the Court of Appeal.

Gillane, who was a senior counsel for the past 16 years, has played a senior role in some of the most well-known court trials of recent years.

These ranged from leading the State’s prosecution of Jozef Puska for murdering Ashling Murphy in Tullamore, Co Offaly, to overseeing the prosecution of Karen Harrington last year for the murder of toddler Santina Cawley in Cork city.

Gillane was also the prosecuting counsel in one of the most well-known court trials of the past decade, in the unsuccessful Special Criminal Court trial of Gerard ‘The Monk’ Hutch over the 2016 murder of David Byrne in the Regency Hotel in Dublin.

PRES HIGGINS JUDICIAL OWENS GILLANE MX-4 President Michael D Higgins appointing Sean Gillane at the Áras today. TONY MAXWELL TONY MAXWELL

Gillane studied law at University College Cork before going on to King’s Inns. He was called to the bar in 1997 and became a senior counsel in 2009.

Today’s appointments are among the first since the introduction of the Judicial Appointments Commission.

The new, independent commission has a remit to select and recommend candidates for all judicial offices in Ireland and in the EU and international courts.