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Warm tributes to late Mr Justice Robert Eagar

The Courts Service has said that Mr Justice Robert Eagar, retired Judge of the High Court, has died.

Described by a fellow solicitor as very dedicated man with a strong social conscience, Mr Justice Eagar was also known as an outstanding criminal-defence advocate, before he accepted a thoroughly-deserved seat on the bench.

Mr Justice Eagar advocated tirelessly for the less fortunate in Irish society.

In his younger years, he was a committed volunteer with the Dublin Simon Community, eventually serving as chair.

He was also a founding member of the Irish Refugee Council.

He had a long-term devotion to both Bohemians and Everton football clubs.

A solicitor prior to his appointment to the High Court bench, Mr Justice Eagar retired as a judge on 17 January 2023.

At that time, Law Society President Maura Derivan said that his was a varied career with many highlights, always with a drive to improve the criminal-justice system in the public interest, from his earliest days as a young lawyer working with Garrett Sheehan and Partners.

He practised there for 30 years, 19 of them as a partner, specialising in criminal law, extradition, asylum, and human rights.

Each speaker paying tribute at his retirement spoke of Mr Justice Eagar's kindness, courtesy, helpfulness, compassion, and gentle good nature, evident since he started his career as a solicitor with the Chief State Solicitor's Office in 1978.

Champion of reform

He constantly compaigned for better resources and championed reforms to criminal-law legislation.

In May, 2019, as guest speaker at a Law Society parchment ceremony, Mr Justice Eagar called for restoration of rates of legal aid for criminal defence solicitors, which had remained at Great Recession levels, despite economic improvement.

Compassion and dignity were markers of his career as a judge, the Law Society President said at the time of Mr Justice Eagar's retirement.

Presiding over cases involving asylum, human rights, and equality law, he witnessed first-hand the impact the law can have on people and society, and the vital role of an independent judiciary in upholding the rule of law in the public interest.

Lifelong advocate

He was a lifelong advocate for access to justice, who demonstrated a deep understanding of the law and application of the rights of citizens, Maura Derivan said.

A friend of the Law Society and the solicitors’ profession in the truest sense, very many trainees had benefitted from Mr Justice Eagar's knowledge and guidance in criminal-law lectures, she added.

Attorney General Rossa Fanning said on his retirement that Mr Justice Eagar would be remembered as a man of compassion and integrity, who had remained stoic in the face of recent medical challenges.

The Law Society President also thanked Mr Justice Eagar at the time for his long contribution to upholding the rule of law and improving access to justice.

His appointment to the High Court in 2014 was a moment of great pride for his solicitor colleagues, Maura Derivan said, as he was just the sixth solicitor in the history of the State to hold such an office.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, 8 November, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception – Adam and Eve’s, Merchant’s Quay (D08 XY19) Dublin 1, at 10 am followed by a committal service in The Garden Chapel, Mount Jerome Crematorium at 11.15 am.

Further details are on RIP.ie

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.