Richard Best (judge)
Encyclopedia
Richard Best PC(Ire)
KC (c. 1869 – 23 February 1939) was an Irish
barrister
, politician and Lord Justice of Appeal
.
Best was born in Richhill, County Armagh
. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin
and was called to the bar by the King's Inns
, Dublin in 1895. He took silk in 1912 and was elected a bencher
in 1918. In 1921 he was elected to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland
as Unionist
member for Armagh and later the same year he was appointed Attorney General for Northern Ireland
. He was appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland
in the 1922 New Year Honours, entitling him to the style "The Right Honourable".
In 1925 he was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal
of the Supreme Court of Northern Ireland
, a position he held until his death.
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
KC (c. 1869 – 23 February 1939) was an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, politician and Lord Justice of Appeal
Lord Justice of Appeal
A Lord Justice of Appeal is an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, and represents the second highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales-Appointment:...
.
Best was born in Richhill, County Armagh
Richhill, County Armagh
Richhill is a large village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the townland of Legacorry , roughly halfway between Armagh and Portadown...
. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
and was called to the bar by the King's Inns
King's Inns
The Honorable Society of King's Inns , is the institution which controls the entry of barristers-at-law into the justice system of Ireland...
, Dublin in 1895. He took silk in 1912 and was elected a bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
in 1918. In 1921 he was elected to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland
House of Commons of Northern Ireland
The House of Commons of Northern Ireland was the lower house of the Parliament of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The upper house in the bicameral parliament was called the Senate. It was abolished with the passing of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act...
as Unionist
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
member for Armagh and later the same year he was appointed Attorney General for Northern Ireland
Attorney General for Northern Ireland
The Attorney General for Northern Ireland is the chief legal adviser to the Northern Ireland Executive for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Northern Ireland Assembly....
. He was appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
in the 1922 New Year Honours, entitling him to the style "The Right Honourable".
In 1925 he was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal
Lord Justice of Appeal
A Lord Justice of Appeal is an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, and represents the second highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales-Appointment:...
of the Supreme Court of Northern Ireland
Supreme Court of Northern Ireland
Supreme Court of Northern Ireland may mean:* Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, established 2009* Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland, called "Supreme Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland" till 2009...
, a position he held until his death.