Rory O'Hanlon (Irish judge)
Roderick Joseph "Rory" O'Hanlon (11 April 1923 – 27 March 2002)[1] was an Irish barrister, jurist, High Court judge and president of the Law Reform Commission.
Rory O'Hanlon | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the High Court | |
| In office 1981 – 12 July 2005 | |
| Nominated by | Government of Ireland |
| Appointed by | Patrick Hillery |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Roderick Joseph O'Hanlon 11 April 1923 Phibsborough, Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 27 March 2002 (aged 78) Blackrock Clinic, Dublin, Ireland |
| Cause of death | Stomach cancer |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Ingoldsby (d. 1968), Barbara Keating |
| Alma mater | |
He was dismissed by the Irish Government from Presidency of the Law Reform Commission in 1992, after commenting that if membership of the EU forced the introduction of abortion to Ireland, the country should withdraw from the Union. He later sued the Government and won substantial damages.[2]
Post-retirement, Judge O'Hanlon took an active part in campaigning to oppose the divorce referendum of 1995, calling divorce "a grave offence against natural law".[3] During the lead-up to the Maastricht Referendum, it was revealed in an interview that he was a member of the secretive Catholic organisation, Opus Dei.[1][4]
He died in March 2002 after a battle with stomach cancer.[1][5]
References
- Keane, Ronan. "O'Hanlon, Roderick Joseph ('Rory') | Dictionary of Irish Biography". www.dib.ie. Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- Annemarie Bruinsma Hanlon: Justice Rory O'Hanlon, Hanlon people & Businesses, (undated)
- Clarity, James F. (27 November 1995). "Ireland's Anti-Divorce Camp Gears Up for Court Challenge". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- Sunday Tribune 19 March 2006 Archived 22 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- "Former High Court Judge O'Hanlon dies". RTÉ News. 24 March 2002. Retrieved 9 April 2023.