John Richards (Attorney General)

John Richards PC (1790 – 1872) was an Irish lawyer and judge.

Richards was born in Dublin, younger son of John Nunn Richards, [solicitor]], and his first wife Elizabeth Fitzgerald. His father's family originally came from Rathaspick, County Wexford, and his father had a country house at Hermitage in that county. He graduated from the University of Dublin. He was called to the Bar in 1811, and became King's Counsel in 1830.

He was a protégé of Daniel O'Connell, and recalled with gratitude a case where the judges would not hear him: O'Connell argued the case on his behalf with frequent references to what "Mr. Richards would have said if he had been permitted to"; ^[1] Richards in later years never ceased to praise O'Connell's "ability and perseverance". ^[2] Like O'Connell, he was a staunch supporter of Catholic Emancipation.

He was appointed a judge at Madras in 1835 but resigned to become Solicitor-General for Ireland the same year and became Attorney-General for Ireland the following year. He was appointed a Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland) in 1837 and held that office until 1859; he also served as a judge of the Encumbered Estates Court.

Richards married firstly Catherine Moloney, daughter of Henry Gonne Moloney, barrister, of Tulla, County Clare, and his wife Caroline Walker, by whom he had nine children.He married secondly Christiana O'Brien, daughter of Christopher O'Brien. He was elected a member of the Royal Dublin Society in 1831. In Dublin he lived in Dalkey, and later Dundrum, and he also had a country house in County Clare.

Ball describes him as one of the finest Irish judges of his time.^[3]

References

1. Geoghegan, Patrick M. King Dan- the rise of Daniel O'Connell Gilll and Macmillan Dublin 2008 p.62-3
2. Geoghegan pp.62-3
3. Ball, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 John Murray London 1926