Businessman bids to block Mr Justice Peter Kelly’s appointment as High Court president

A businessman has lodged High Court proceedings aiming to block the appointment of Mr Justice Peter Kelly as the next president of the High Court.

Jerry Beades, an activist with the New Land League, has alleged that Mr Justice Kelly is not an appropriate appointment for the role.

The State, the Attorney General, the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald are named in the papers, but Mr Justice Kelly himself is not a party to the action.

It is not known whether Mr Beades will seek a temporary injunction preventing Mr Justice Kelly’s formal appointment next week.

Mr Justice Kelly’s nomination by the Cabinet on Tuesday had been welcomed by the Association of Judges of Ireland as well as the Law Society of Ireland and Bar Council of Ireland.

Ken Murphy, director general of the Law Society, called him a “fearlessly independent judge with a ferocious work ethic, a first class legal mind and an utter commitment to the highest of standards from himself and others”.

Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns will sit as a judge of the High Court for the last time on Friday.