Sir John Clarke MacDermott, PC (9 May 1927 – 13 December 2022) was a

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

barrister and judge.

Biography

MacDermott was born on 9 May 1927, as the son of the judge

John MacDermott, Baron MacDermott John Clarke MacDermott, Baron MacDermott, , PC (NI) (12 April 1896 – 13 July 1979), was a Northern Irish politician, barrister, and judge who served as Attorney-General for Northern Ireland, a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, and Lord Chief Jus ...

and Louise Palmer Johnston, oldest daughter of the Rev. J. C. Johnston, DD. He was educated at

Campbell College Campbell College located in Belfast, Northern Ireland and founded in 1894 comprises a preparatory school department (junior age) and a senior Northern Ireland 'Voluntary Grammar' school, the latter meaning, in terms of provision of education, a ...

, Belfast,

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...

(BA), and

Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...

. MacDermott was called to English Bar by the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

and the Bar of

in 1949 and became a Northern Irish

Queen's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

in 1964. He was appointed a Justice of the

High Court of Northern Ireland The courts of Northern Ireland are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in Northern Ireland: they are constituted and governed by the law of Northern Ireland. Prior to the partition of Ireland, Northern I ...

in 1973. In 1987, he was made a Lord Justice of Appeal, and was knighted and sworn of the Privy Council. He retired from the bench in 1998. McDermott died on 13 December 2022, at the age of 95.

References

Sources

Judge's retiring breaks long link
irishtimes.com. Accessed 25 January 2023. {{DEFAULTSORT:MacDermott, John 1927 births 2022 deaths Knights Bachelor Sons of life peers People educated at Campbell College Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Alumni of Queen's University Belfast Members of the Inner Temple Barristers from Northern Ireland Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom High Court judges of Northern Ireland Lords Justice of Appeal of Northern Ireland Northern Ireland King's Counsel