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John Larkin (Northern Ireland)

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John Larkin
Attorney General for Northern Ireland
In office
24 May 2010 – 30 Jun 2020
First MinisterPeter Robinson
Arlene Foster
Deputy First MinisterMartin McGuinness
Michelle O'Neill
Preceded byPatricia Scotland
Succeeded byBrenda King
Personal details
Born1969 (age 54–55)
Belfast,Northern Ireland
Political partyAlliance(till 1989)
Alma materQueen's University Belfast
ProfessionBarrister

John F. LarkinKC(born 1969), is the formerAttorney General for Northern Ireland.

He was the first person to hold the office separately since its functions were assumed by theAttorney General for England and Walesin 1972. He was the first holder of the office not to be a politician sitting in either theParliament of Northern Ireland,at Stormont, or theUK Parliament.[1]

Early life

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Larkin was born inBelfastand educated atSt Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar SchoolandQueen's University Belfast,where he read law. He was subsequently called to theBar of Northern Irelandand practised as a barrister.[2]

Career

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In the early 1980s. he was involved in politics as a member of theAlliance Party of Northern Ireland,but ceased to be active as his legal career took off. In 1989, at the age of 25, Larkin was appointed asReid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and PenologyatTrinity College Dublin.He returned to Northern Ireland in the 1990s to work at the Northern Ireland Bar, specialising in administrative law, civil liberties and human rights, competition and constitutional law, defamation and judicial review.[citation needed]

On 20 November 2013, he recommended eliminating prosecutions, inquests or inquiries into events which preceded theGood Friday Agreementof 1998. Certain politicians and policemen accused him of attempting to violateinternational law.[3][4][5]

On 25 November, he received a letter fromJim AllisterregardingTraditional Unionist Voiceallegations against theBBCto which he replied three days later saying that it would not be appropriate for him to comment on that issue.[6]

On 10 June 2014, he attended hearing on the so-calledon-the-runletters.[7]

Views

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Larkin is opposed to abortion, commenting in 2008 on BBC Radio Ulster that abortion was the same as shooting a baby in the head.[8]During his later tenure as Attorney-General, Larkin was accused of using his office to further his personal opposition to abortion, with a series of actions including urging the Northern Ireland Assemby's justice committee to examine the legality of Belfast's Marie Stopes Clinic.[9]Committee members said his intervention was inappropriate and amounted to an attempt to 'take control' of an Assembly inquiry.[10]Larkin also opposed a Northern Ireland woman's attempt to legally challenge the province's abortion laws, claiming she did not have the standing to do so.[11]The woman later won her case.[12]

Larkin attempted to intervene in a European Court of Human Rights case taken by two Austrian lesbians. Larkin argued that countries should be able to 'opt out' of laws to support adoption by gay couples.[13]The UK Government distanced itself from Larkin, saying it had not been consulted.[14]

After his tenure as Attorney-General, Larkin acted as senior counsel for theSociety for the Protection of the Unborn Childin their challenge to Northern Ireland's 2021 abortion regulations. The challenge failed.[15][16]

Resignation

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John Larkin stood down on 30th June 2020 as Attorney General and was replaced by Brenda King, FirstLegislative Counselin the Executive Office.

References

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  1. ^Larkin, John (2 February 2010)."Profile of North's AG-apparent".The Irish Times.Archivedfrom the original on 8 November 2012.Retrieved6 February2010.
  2. ^Rutherford, Adrian (20 November 2013)."Attorney General John Larkin: The legal eagle who never ducked controversy or bruising battles".Belfast Telegraph.Retrieved21 June2022.
  3. ^"Politicians and police react to John Larkin's Troubles proposals".The News Letter.20 November 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 30 March 2014.Retrieved30 March2014.
  4. ^"Politicians react to NI attorney general's end Troubles prosecutions call".BBC News. 20 November 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 30 March 2014.Retrieved30 March2014.
  5. ^Vincent Kearney (20 November 2013)."NI attorney general John Larkin calls for end to Troubles prosecutions".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 30 June 2009.Retrieved30 March2014.
  6. ^Martina Purdy (2 December 2013)."Spotlight allegations: Attorney General John Larkin will not disclose Robinson legal advice".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 30 March 2014.Retrieved30 March2014.
  7. ^"OTR letters 'only good on date received'".UTV.10 June 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 4 July 2014.Retrieved4 July2014.
  8. ^"John Larkin abortion comments totally wrong - Sinn Fein".BBC News.19 October 2012.Retrieved2 August2024.
  9. ^"Northern Ireland: Larkin with the law".The Guardian.25 October 2012.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved2 August2024.
  10. ^"Abortion Rights and the Meddling QC".REBEL.18 May 2020.Retrieved2 August2024.
  11. ^"Chief law officer questions woman's eligibility to challenge abortion laws".BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.31 January 2019.ISSN0307-1235.Retrieved2 August2024.
  12. ^"Northern Ireland abortion ruling 'a turning point for women', says Sarah Ewart".BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.3 October 2019.ISSN0307-1235.Retrieved2 August2024.
  13. ^"Government distances itself from Attorney General John Larkin over Austrian lesbian case".BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.24 October 2012.ISSN0307-1235.Retrieved2 August2024.
  14. ^"John Larkin 'did not consult UK' on gay adoption case".BBC News.24 October 2012.Retrieved2 August2024.
  15. ^"Dramatic delay to SPUC Northern Ireland Abortion Challenge".www.spuc.org.uk.Retrieved2 August2024.
  16. ^"Abortion: SPUC loses challenge against NI secretary of state".BBC News.25 May 2023.Retrieved2 August2024.
Political offices
Preceded by Attorney General for Northern Ireland
2010–2020
Succeeded by