Incoming Bar Council chair is Séamus Clarke SC
Séamus Clarke SC has been elected as the incoming chair of the Council of The Bar of Ireland.
He will assume the role from 14 September.
Séamus Clarke SC is based at the Law Library in Dublin and practises mainly in public law, including criminal, constitutional and administrative law, as well as employment law.
He is an arbitrator and mediator and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb).
From 2020 to 2025, he served as a Director and member of the Board of Management of the Dublin Disputes Resolution Centre (DDRC).
Clarke has also held a number of senior leadership positions within the Bar of Ireland, including vice-chair and treasurer.
A native of Bailieboro, Co Cavan, he was educated at St Patrick’s College, Cavan.
He studied law at University College Dublin and DePaul University, Chicago, before completing a Masters in European and Comparative Law at the University of Oxford.
He qualified as a barrister at the King’s Inns and was called to the Bar in 2000. He was called to the Inner Bar and appointed Senior Counsel in 2017.
Commenting, Séamus Clarke SC said: “The representative body plays a vital role in promoting and advocating for the rule of law, the protection of constitutional and human rights and access to justice for all.
Priorities
“One of my key priorities as chair will be to continue the Council’s engagement with Government and policymakers on the future sustainability of criminal legal aid and the urgent need for reform of the civil legal aid system.
It is essential that legal aid schemes are properly resourced and capable of meeting the needs of those who rely on them today, and into the future,” he said.
Clarke also committed to promoting the expanded use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation and arbitration, which he said can provide timely, cost-effective and efficient pathways to resolving disputes.
He also thanked his predecessor Seán Guerin SC for outstanding leadership and dedication.