Charles Casey

Who was Charles Casey?

Charles Casey was an Irish lawyer and judge. He was born in Dublin in 1895 and educated at Castleknock College. During World War I he served in the 16th Division. He was called to the Bar in 1923 and made a Senior Counsel in 1941. John A. Costello chose him as Attorney General in 1950 to replace Cecil Lavery. The following year he was made a judge of the High Court; but he died after only a few months.

Casey, like Lavery, continued to take private work while Attorney General, with the full approval of Costello, himself a former Attorney General. He did show questionable judgment in appearing for a private party in Re Tilson, infants [1951] I.R. 1 since while still Attorney General he was required to urge the Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution in the way which suited his client's argument. While it was never suggested he had acted improperly, such cases fully justify the present rule that the Attorney General takes no any private cases.