One of the country's leading and longest serving judges, President of the High Court Mr Justice Peter Kelly, presided over his final High Court sitting today.
Described as "independent and fearless", Mr Justice Kelly, who oversaw the establishment of the Commercial Court, must retire today as he reaches the age of 70.
This morning, judges of superior courts gathered outside the Four Courts to mark the occasion, as Covid-19 restrictions did not allow the usual gathering for tributes to be paid in the courtroom.
Instead, judges of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court formed a guard of honour as he arrived at the Four Courts this morning.
Among them was his expected successor, Supreme Court judge Ms Justice Mary Irvine, who was nominated for the position by the Cabinet last week.
Mr Justice Kelly was called to the bar in 1975 and was appointed to the bench of the High Court in 1996.
Today, tributes were paid by the Courts Service, the Bar Council and the Law Society of Ireland.
Director General of the Law Society Ken Murphy said Mr Justice Kelly was a "fearlessly independent judge with a ferocious work ethic, a first class legal mind, and an utter commitment to the highest of standards for himself and others".
Courts Service CEO Angela Denning said Mr Justice Kelly was "a great friend of, and support to, the Courts Service since he was appointed to the bench".
She noted that the judge had not taken the traditional route to the bench and had once worked in the High Court Central Office.
She said: "We are very proud that he is one of a number of former courts staff who went on to hold public office later in their career."
As a judge of the High Court, he worked in partnership with administrative staff, she said, adding: "Much of the success of the Commercial Court can be attributed to his clarity of purpose and collaborative approach".
Bar Council Chairman Micheál P O'Higgins paid tribute to Judge Kelly, describing him as a "beacon for the highest standards of competence, rigour, propriety and independence".
He said Mr Justice Kelly is now the second longest serving judge in the Irish courts, with 24 years of service as a judge of the High Court and Court of Appeal and, since 2015, as president of the High Court.
He was the leading figure in the establishment of the Commercial Court, a "lasting and international legacy".
Mr O'Higgins also paid tribute to Judge Kelly's work in dealing with wards of court. He said the wardship list, where "justice, humanity and the law co-exist to vindicate the rights of the elderly and vulnerable, gave him particular fulfilment. This may say something about him".
He added that his many written judgments stand as "jewels of logic and learning and have contributed to the development of the law in many areas". He was equally impressive for his ability to frame clear and fluid on-the-spot judgments, he said.
Mr Justice Kelly's "independence and fearlessness as a judge stand as an example to his colleagues", he said.
