New judge appointed to Mullingar district

A new era began at Mullingar Courthouse on Thursday September 8, when the first woman permanently appointed as presiding judge in District No. 9 (Longford and Westmeath) took up her duties.

Judge Bernadette Owens succeeds Judge Seamus Hughes, who died in July just weeks before he was due to retire from the bench. She will preside over the district courts in Mullingar, Athlone and Longford.

Judge Owens is a native of Tullamore, Co. Offaly, and has extensive experience in several branches of the law, including criminal and family law. For many years, she was the principal solicitor at B M Owens and Company Solicitors in Birr.

A graduate of the University of Limerick, Judge Owens also studied at Rathmines College of Commerce in Dublin. Enrolled as a solicitor in 1984, she served an apprenticeship at the legal practice of Birr solicitor and TD Tom Enright, and worked in Clonmel before returning to Birr to establish her own practice in 1991.

Judge Owens’ appointment to District No. 9 comes five and a half years after she was appointed as a District Court judge (January 2017). Prior to that, she was a member of the Legal Aid Board (1995 to 2001), and in August 2010 she was appointed Guardian Ad Litem to the District Court.

At the recent sitting of Mullingar District Court, Judge Owens was welcomed by various officers of the court.

Mr Robert Marren spoke for solicitors in the district, saying that Judge Owens followed in a long line of eminent judges who presided in Mullingar during his time as a solicitor – Judges Tormey, Connellan, O’Donnell, Neilan and Hughes.

Mr Marren’s sentiments were echoed by Mr Niall Flynn, BL, who spoke on behalf of the Midland circuit bar. “Hopefully I won’t antagonise the bench going forward,” he quipped.

Ms Margaret O’Rafferty, speaking for the Courts Service staff in Mullingar, said that Judge Owens’ appointment was “a great day for the district”, and it was an appointment that the late Judge Hughes would have approved of.

Ms O’Rafferty said that she had observed Judge Owens when she deputised for Judge Hughes this year, and was impressed at how she applies “a fine tooth comb” in bringing cases to a conclusion.

She wished Judge Owens the very best for the future, and these sentiments were echoed by Sgt Sheila Kenny on behalf of the DPP and Mullingar Gardaí.

Mr Peter Jones, state solicitor for Westmeath, said there were “none more deserving” the appointment than Judge Owens, who “ably fulfilled Judge Hughes’s duties during his illness”.

“I wish you a long time on the bench,” he said.

Judge Owens thanked those who spoke for their kind words. Like some criminal cases, she added humorously, “I’ll put the matter in for review after six months!”

She said that she was humbled at hearing the list of eminent judges who preceded her in the district, and remarked that the first case she dealt with as a solicitor in Tullamore District Court was heard by Judge Tormey.

“I have big shoes to fill, and I hope I perform my duties in the same honourable and humane way,” she said, adding that receiving news of her appointment on Wednesday September 7 gave her “a great sense of honour”.

The judge remarked that she was looking forward to working with the Courts Service staff in Mullingar, stating that the court “cannot function” without the work and support of the staff.