Tribute to Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore

1 December 2020

The London Irish Lawyers Association is shocked and saddened at the news today of the passing of Lord Kerr.

Lord Kerr was a longstanding friend of the association and we are extremely proud that he was our Patron.

His distinguished legal and judicial careers speak for themselves. Many today have spoken of his contribution in Northern Ireland as a barrister, High Court Judge and eventually as Lord Chief Justice. Others have spoken of his remarkable contribution to the Supreme Court, including as the longest serving judge in the history of court and the first to come from Northern Ireland.

We echo those tributes but we also recall Lord Kerr's kindness, his generosity and the extent to which he was always willing to give of his time to support others.

We recall his warm and witty reflections at our events in the Irish Embassy, and in a joint event with former Chief Justice Ronan Keane. We recall the personal tour of the Supreme Court he gave to many of our members- and the care and interest he took in everyone who attended.

We were looking forward to celebrating Lord Kerr's retirement with him in a scheduled event last Wednesday 25th November which unfortunately was not able to proceed.

The legal community- both in the UK and in Ireland has lost a leading voice, an excellent role model and a remarkable person.

We send our deepest condolences to Lord Kerr's wife Gillian, his sons and his wider family and to all of his colleagues and friends in London, Belfast, Dublin and beyond.

Lord Kerr speaking at LILA's relaunch in the Embassy of Ireland in London in 2012