Dame Maura Patricia McGowan
DBE (born 27 January 1957), styled The Hon. Mrs Justice McGowan, is a
judge of the High Court of England and Wales.
Personal life and education
She was educated at
Virgo Fidelis Convent School and the
University of Manchester
, mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity
, established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...
.
McGowan is a
Trustee
Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...
of the
London Irish Centre
The London Irish Centre is a charity based in Camden, London, which has served the Irish community since 1955.
With a recession in Ireland in the mid-20th century, and Britain in need of workers in a number of industries and services, tens o ...
.
Career
She was called to the bar at
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...
in 1980
and began work at '
''2 Bedford Row'
'' and Lincoln House chambe''s', specialising in
Criminal law
Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It prescribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and moral welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal law i ...
.
She was appointed
King's Counsel
In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...
(previously Queen's) in 2001.
McGowan was appointed as a
Recorder
Recorder or The Recorder may refer to:
Newspapers
* ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper
* ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US
* ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
in 2000 and assigned to the South Eastern circuit. She would later be appointed as a
High Court judge in 2014
and be assigned to the
King's Bench Division
The King's Bench Division (or Queen's Bench Division when the monarch is female) of the High Court of Justice deals with a wide range of common law cases and has supervisory responsibility over certain lower courts.
It hears appeals on point ...
. She received the customary
Dame Commander
Commander ( it, Commendatore; french: Commandeur; german: Komtur; es, Comendador; pt, Comendador), or Knight Commander, is a title of honor prevalent in chivalric orders and fraternal orders.
The title of Commander occurred in the medieval mil ...
in November 2014.
McGowan was elected a
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can ...
of
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...
in 2005 and later, a Treasurer for 2022.
"Officers of the Inn,"
Middle Temple website, retrieved 9 April 2022.
Notable cases
* Murder of Rikki Neave
*John Worboys
John Derek Radford (formerly John Worboys; born June 1957) is a British convicted sex offender, known as the Black Cab Rapist. Worboys was convicted in 2009 for attacks on 12 women. Police say he may have had more than 100 victims.
Early life
Bo ...
*2018 Westminster car attack
On 14 August 2018, three people were injured when a silver Ford Fiesta hit them near the Palace of Westminster, London, England. The car then went on to crash into the separation barrier of the pavement situated between St Margaret Street / ...
*Killing of Lilia Valutyte
On 28 July 2022 at around 6:20p.m. local time, Lilia Valutyte, a nine-year-old girl, was stabbed in Boston, Lincolnshire, England outside an embroidery shop. She was later pronounced dead at Boston Pilgrim Hospital. Before the attack it is under ...
References
1957 births
Living people
Alumni of the University of Manchester
Members of the Middle Temple
Queen's Bench Division judges
English women judges
Place of birth missing (living people)
Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
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