Patrick McCarthy (judge)

Patrick James McCarthy is an Irish judge who has served as a Judge of the Court of Appeal since July 2018. He previously served as a Judge of the High Court from 2007 to 2018.

McCarthy obtained a BCL degree from University College Cork and attended the King's Inns.^[1] He became a barrister in 1982 and became a senior counsel in 2000.^[2] His practice was focused on the Cork circuit.^[3] He frequently acted as prosecuting counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions in criminal trials.^[4] He was also a member of the bars of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.^[2] He was appointed to the Criminal Law Codification Advisory Committee in 2006, to advise on codification of Irish criminal law.^[1]

He was appointed to the High Court in May 2007,^[1] where he was assigned to the Central Criminal Court.^[5] During his term he was critical of proposed government changes to the selection of judicial appointments.^[6]

McCarthy became a Judge of the Court of Appeal in July 2018.^[7] His appointment was to fill the vacancy on the court left by Judge Alan Mahon.^[8]