The chief justice of the Common Pleas for Ireland was the presiding judge of the

Court of Common Pleas A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...

in Ireland, which was known in its early years as the Court of Common Bench, or simply as "the Bench", or "the Dublin bench". It was one of the senior courts of

common law In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omnipresen ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, and was a mirror of the

in England. The Court of Common Pleas was one of the "four courts" which sat in the building in Dublin which is still known as the

Four Courts The Four Courts ( ga, Na Ceithre Cúirteanna) is Ireland's most prominent courts building, located on Inns Quay in Dublin. The Four Courts is the principal seat of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit ...

, apart from a period in the fourteenth century when it relocated to

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272. The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...

, which was thought to be both more central and more secure for the rulers of

Norman Ireland Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

. According to Francis Elrington Ball, the court was fully operational by 1276. It was staffed by the chief justice, of whom Robert Bagod was the first, and two or three associate justices. The Court functioned until the passing of the

Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Ireland) 1877 The Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Ireland) 1877 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that brought about a major reorganisation of the superior courts in Ireland. It created a Supreme Court of Judicature, comprising the High C ...

when it was merged into the new

High Court of Justice in Ireland The High Court of Justice in Ireland was the court created by the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Ireland) 1877 to replace the existing court structure in Ireland. Its creation mirrored the reform of the courts of England and Wales five years e ...

. The last Chief Justice of the Common Pleas for Ireland, Sir Michael Morris, continued to hold the title until 1887, when he was appointed

Lord Chief Justice of Ireland The Court of King's Bench (or Court of Queen's Bench during the reign of a Queen) was one of the senior courts of common law in Ireland. It was a mirror of the Court of King's Bench in England. The Lord Chief Justice was the most senior judge ...

List of chief justices of the common pleas for Ireland

*1274 Robert BagodThe list is taken from Ball ''The Judges in Ireland'' *1298

Thomas de Chaddesworth Thomas de Chaddesworth, de Chedworth or de Chadsworth (c.1230-1311) was an English-born Crown servant and cleric who spent some fifty years in Ireland, and died there at a great age. He was Deans of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Dean of St ...

(temporary) *1298 Simon de Ludgate *1302

Sir Richard de Exeter Sir Richard de Exeter (died 1327) was an Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman knight and baron who served as a judge in Ireland.Ball p.23 Biography The son of Richard de Exeter (his father married three times, and his mother's identity is uncertain), Sir ...

*1308 William le Deveneys *1308

*1323 Richard Willoughby *1325 Henry de Hambury *1327

Nicholas Fastolf Nicholas Fastolf (??? - 1330) was an English-born judge who was a leading member of the early Irish judiciary; according to the most reliable source, he was the first judge to hold the office of Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. He was probably the d ...

*1329

William de Rodyard William de Rodyard, de Rodiard, or de Rudyard (c.1275- c. 1349) was an English-born judge and cleric in fourteenth-century Ireland. He held office as Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas; he was also Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, and briefl ...

*1331

Robert de Scardeburgh Robert de Scardeburgh, or de Scardeburg (died after 1351) was an English judge who also held high judicial office in Ireland. He was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, from which he took his surname. He is thought to have been a nephew of Rob ...

*1335

Simon Fitz-Richard Sir Simon Fitz-Richard (died c.1348 ) was an Irish landowner, barrister and judge. He became Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas, and fought a long and successful campaign against the efforts of his enemies to remove him from office, despite t ...

*1338 John de Rees *1338

, ''second term'' *1341

John Gernoun John Gernoun, or Gernon (died ) was an Irish landowner, soldier and judge who held office as Serjeant-at-law (Ireland) and Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. He gave good service to the Crown during the Scottish Invasion of 1315-18, but ...

*1344

Thomas de Dent Thomas de Dent, Thomas Dyvelyn, Thomas Denton, or Thomas of Dublin (died after 1361) was an English-born cleric and judge who held high office in Ireland during the reign of King Edward III, and was praised as a diligent and hard-working Crown off ...

*1358

Robert Preston, 1st Baron Gormanston Robert Preston, 1st Baron Gormanston (died 1396) was an Anglo-Irish nobleman, statesman and judge of the fourteenth century. He held several senior judicial offices including, for a brief period, that of Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He was the foun ...

*1378 Henry Mitchell *1380 Stephen de Bray *1383 William de Langham *1385

John de Shriggeley Sir John de Shriggeley, whose family name is also spelt Shirggeley and Shryggeley (died after 1405) was an Irish statesman and judge who held several important judicial offices, including Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. Although he commit ...

*1385

Edmund de Clay Edmund de Clay, or del Clay (died after 1389) was an English-born lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas.Ball, F. Elrington ''The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921'' John Murray London 192 ...

*1386

John Tirel John Tirel, or Tyrell (died 1395) was a prominent judge and statesman in fourteenth-century Ireland who held office as Serjeant-at-law and Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas.Ball, F. Elrington ''The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921'' London John Mu ...

*1396 John Giffard *1396

John Fitzadam John Fitzadam (died c.1419) was an Irish judge of the late fourteenth and early fifteenth century. He is notable for his very long tenure as Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas; he held the office for twenty-three years, in the reigns of three ...

*1419

William Tynbegh William Tynbegh, or de Thinbegh (c.1370-1424) was an Irish lawyer who had a long and distinguished career as a judge, holding office as Chief Justice of all three of the courts of common law and as Lord High Treasurer of Ireland. His career is un ...

*1420 John Blakeney *1424

, ''second term'' *1424 John Blakeney, ''second term'' *1428 Sir James Alleyn *1430 John Blakeney, ''third term'' *1438

Robert Dowdall Sir Robert Dowdall (died 1482) was an Irish judge who held the office of Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas for more than forty years. He is mainly remembered today for the murderous assault on him by Sir James Keating, the Prior of Kilmain ...

*1482 Thomas Plunket *1494

John Topcliffe John Topcliffe (died 1513) was an English-born judge who spent much of his career in Ireland, where he held office as Chief Justice of each of the three courts of common law in turn.Ball, F. Elrington ''The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921'' John Murra ...

*1496 Thomas Bowring *1498 Thomas Plunket, ''second term'' *1514

Richard Delahide Richard Delahide (died 1540) was an Irish judge of the sixteenth century, who held the offices of Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas and Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. His career was seriously damaged by the Rebellion of Silken Thomas, ...

*1534 Thomas Luttrell *1554 John Bathe *1559

Robert Dillon (died 1580) Sir Robert Dillon ( – 1579) of Newtown near Trim was an Irish judge of the Tudor era. He served as Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas for more than twenty years, despite repeated calls for his removal on the grounds of age and ill healt ...

*1580

Nicholas Nugent Nicholas Nugent (c. 1525–1582) was an Anglo-Irish judge, who was hanged for treason by the government that appointed him. He had, before his downfall, enjoyed a highly successful career, holding office as Solicitor General for Ireland, Baron of ...

*1581 Robert Dillon ''died 1597, first term'' *1593 William Weston *1594 Robert Dillon ''died 1597, second term'' *1597 Nicholas Walsh *1612

Dominick Sarsfield, 1st Viscount Sarsfield Dominick Sarsfield, 1st Viscount Sarsfield of Kilmallock (c. 15701636) was an Irish peer and judge who became Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas, but was removed from office for corruption and died in disgrace. Early history Dominick Sarsfie ...

*1634 Gerard Lowther *1660

James Donnellan Sir James Donnellan (c. 1588 – 1665) was an Irish lawyer and politician, who became Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas in 1660. He was unusual among the Irish judges of the time in being of Gaelic descent; and more remarkable in that hi ...

*1665 Sir Edward Smith ''(or Smythe)'' *1670 Robert Booth *1679 John Keating *1691

Richard Pyne Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong ...

*1695 John Hely *1701 Richard Cox *1703

Sir Robert Doyne Sir Robert Doyne (1651–1733) was an Irish barrister and politician. Judge He was member of the Irish House of Commons for New Ross from 1692 to 1695, and later a distinguished judge who served as Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer from 1695 ...

*1714 John Forster *1720

Sir Richard Levinge, 1st Baronet Sir Richard Levinge, 1st Baronet (2 May 1656 – 13 July 1724) was an Irish politician and judge, who played a leading part in Irish public life for more than 30 years. Background Levinge was born at Leek, Staffordshire, the second son of Ric ...

*1724

Thomas Wyndham, 1st Baron Wyndham Thomas Wyndham, 1st Baron Wyndham PC (27 December 1681 – 24 November 1745), was an Irish lawyer and politician. He served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1726 to 1739. Background Wyndham was born in Wiltshire, the son of Colonel John Wynd ...

*1727

William Whitshed William Whitshed (1679–1727) was an Irish politician and judge who held office as Solicitor-General and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland; just before his death he became Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. He became the Member of Parliament ...

(died just after taking up office) *1727 James Reynolds *1740 Henry Singleton *1753 Sir William Yorke, 1st Baronet *1761

Richard Aston Sir Richard Aston (1717 – 1 March 1778) was an English judge who served as King's counsel, King's Counsel and Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland), Court of Common Pleas in Ireland. Aston worked to reform law practice, sp ...

*1765 Richard Clayton *1770

Marcus Paterson Marcus Paterson (1712 – 12 March 1787) was an Irish politician, Solicitor-General for Ireland and Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. He became the Member of Parliament for Ballynakill in 1756 and Lisburn in 1768. He was appointed as Soli ...

*1787

Hugh Carleton, 1st Viscount Carleton Hugh Carleton MRIA, 1st Viscount Carleton, PC (I), SL (11 September 1739 – 25 February 1826) was an Irish politician and judge. Early life Carleton was possibly born in Cork city, son of Francis Carleton (1713–1791) and Rebecca (d.1791 ...

*1800

John Toler, 1st Earl of Norbury John Toler, 1st Earl of Norbury PC, KC (3 December 1745 – 27 July 1831), known as The Lord Norbury between 1800 and 1827, was an Irish lawyer, politician and judge. A greatly controversial figure in his time, he was nicknamed the "Hanging Jud ...

*1827

William Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket William Conyngham Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket, PC (Ire), QC (1 July 1764 – 5 January 1854) was an Irish politician and lawyer. After gaining public notoriety as the prosecutor in the treason trial of Robert Emmet in 1803, he rose rapidly in g ...

*1830 John Doherty *1850

James Henry Monahan James Henry Monahan (1803 – 8 December 1878) was one of the outstanding Irish judges of his time, and one of the first Irish Roman Catholics to achieve judicial eminence. He held office as Attorney General for Ireland and Chief Justice of the I ...

*1876 Michael Morris

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chief Justice of the Common Pleas for Ireland