Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore

Former Justice

Brian Francis Kerr, Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore became a Justice of the Supreme Court in October 2009.

Lord Kerr served as Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland from 2004 to 2009, and was the last Lord of Appeal in Ordinary appointed before the creation of the Supreme Court.

Lord Kerr was educated at St Colman’s College, Newry, and read law at Queen’s University, Belfast.  He was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1970, and to the Bar of England and Wales at Gray’s Inn in 1974.

He served as Junior Crown Counsel from 1978 to 1983, at which point he took silk and served as Senior Crown Counsel from 1988 to 1993. In 1993 he was appointed a Judge of the High Court and knighted. He became Lord Chief Justice and joined the Privy Council in 2004.

Lord Kerr succeeded Lord Carswell of Killeen as Northern Ireland’s Lord of Appeal in Ordinary on 29 June 2009, the last Law Lord appointed before the creation of the Supreme Court.

Lord Kerr was the first Justice of the Supreme Court to come from Northern Ireland.

Lord Kerr died on 1 December 2020.