Tony Hunt (judge)
Tony Hunt | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the High Court | |
| Assumed office 30 October 2014 | |
| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Michael D. Higgins |
| Judge of the Circuit Court | |
| In office 15 May 2007 – 30 October 2014 | |
| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Mary McAleese |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Alma mater | |
Tony Hunt is an Irish judge who has served as a Judge of the High Court since October 2014, and is the senior presiding judge of the Special Criminal Court. He previously served as a Judge of the Circuit Court from 2007 and 2014.
Education
[edit]Hunt attended University College Dublin from where he obtained a BCL degree in 1984.[1] He subsequently attended the King's Inns to study to become a barrister.[2]
Legal career
[edit]Hunt was called to the Bar in 1986.[2] He was an appointee of the Bar Council to the Superior Court Rules Committee.[3]
Much of his practice was spent appearing in criminal trials as prosecuting counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions. He acted in trials involving assault,[4] sexual assault,[5] manslaughter,[6] drugs offences,[7] and tax offences.[8] He acted for defendants in traffic offences,[9] and sexual assault cases.[10]
Hunt also represented clients in cases involving injunctions,[11] contracts,[12] and personal injuries.[13]
Judicial career
[edit]Circuit Court
[edit]His career on the bench began in May 2007 when he was appointed a judge of the Circuit Court.[14] From March 2012, he was assigned to the Midland Circuit.[2]
He was a member of the Circuit Court Rules Committee.[15] He replaced Yvonne Murphy as a member of the Working Group on Efficiency Measures in the Criminal Justice System for the Circuit and District Courts in February 2012.[16]
High Court
[edit]Hunt was elevated to the High Court in October 2014, coinciding with multiple vacancies created on the court following the creation by the Court of Appeal.[17]
Hunt frequently hears cases from the Central Criminal Court, including those involving murder,[18] manslaughter,[19] and rape.[20] In 2015, he was the judge in the trial of Graham Dwyer arising out of the murder of Elaine O'Hara. The trial lasted 46 days and attracted much media and public attention.[21] In 2023, he was the judge in the trial of Jozef Puška, arising out of the high-profile murder of Ashling Murphy.[22] Hunt has also heard extradition applications.[23]
He is the senior presiding judge of the Special Criminal Court.[24] He has heard cases concerning dissident republicanism and the Hutch–Kinahan feud, including the shooting of Gareth Hutch,[25] Dessie O'Hare,[26] and the kidnapping of Kevin Lunney.[27][28] In May 2020, he described the Kinahan organisation as having a "hierarchical structure" containing "cells and sub-cells" to engage in "execution-type murders" related to international "organised drugs and firearm trafficking".[29][30] This was the first time a judge had outlined the organisation in such a way in court.[31]
References
[edit]- ^ "Recent judicial appointments for our alumni". UCD School of Law. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ a b c Finn, Christina. "New appointments chosen to fill vacancies in High Court". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Courts Service Annual Report 2005" (PDF). Courts Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Woman denies slashing other woman's face". www.irishexaminer.com. 11 July 2002. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "French woman tells court of sexual assault in Cork". www.irishexaminer.com. 5 October 2004. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Father (38) guilty of manslaughter". independent. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Kenyan remanded after his 'naive' drugs smuggling bid". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "F&M smuggler now to face trial over tax offences". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Driving ban on director lifted". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Tallaght resident convicted of sex assault is banned from area". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ Managh, Ray. "Farmers restrained from picketing B of I". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Compensation of €25,000 ordered for burned digger". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Prison officer broke her nose during training". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Annual Report 2007" (PDF). JAAB. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Courts Service Annual Report 2010" (PDF). Courts.ie. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Report of the Working Group on Efficiency Measures in the Criminal Justice System - Circuit and District Courts" (PDF). justice.ie. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Annual Report 2014" (PDF). JAAB. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Dublin man found guilty of Tallaght murder in 2017". RTÉ News. 21 December 2018. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Former soldier pleads guilty to manslaughter". RTÉ News. 3 November 2017. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Traveller group says State failed women in rape case". RTÉ News. 16 June 2020. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "'I agree 110pc with the guilty verdict,' says judge". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Judge tells jury in Ashling Murphy murder trial that they must base their verdict solely on evidence". Independent.ie. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Bailey extradition hearing to take place next month". RTÉ News. 20 January 2020. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ Gallagher, Conor; O’Riordan, Alison. "Senior judge says he was not told of plan to suspend second non-jury court". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ O'Brien, Fergal (2 November 2018). "Three given life sentences for murder of Gareth Hutch". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ Reynolds, Paul (11 April 2019). "Dessie O'Hare jailed for assault and false imprisonment". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Vehicle held by gardaí in Lunney inquiry burned". RTÉ News. 10 June 2020. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ O'Brien, Fergal (21 August 2019). "Two men in court charged with IRA membership". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 27 December 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Judge finds Kinahan gang trafficks drugs and weapons on 'international scale' as he jails 'foot-soldier' Mark Capper". www.irishexaminer.com. 28 May 2020. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ Reynolds, Paul (31 May 2020). "Special report: Inside the Kinahan gang". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ Gallagher, Conor. "Judge's comments a blow to Kinahan attempts to whitewash his reputation". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.