Michael Judge BL

Michael Judge is a junior counsel practising in the areas of commercial law, public law, EU law and regulatory law. He regularly undertakes advisory work for clients, including the State.

He was called to the Bar of Ireland in 2018.

He undertook his LL.B. at Trinity College, Dublin and is a former scholar of the College. He completed an LL.M. at the University of Cambridge and was awarded the Joseph Petty Studentship. During his graduate studies, he was an editor of the Cambridge Journal of International and Comparative Law.

He was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2022 (Inner Temple) and the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2024.

He lectured European Human Rights as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Trinity College, Dublin during the 2022/2023 academic year. He jointly co-ordinates the Advanced Diploma in Public Procurement Law at the King’s Inns.

Recent selected highlights of Michael’s practice include:

• Ireland v. United Kingdom (III), Application Number: 1859/24 (counsel team member for the Applicant in an ongoing inter-state challenge before the ECtHR regarding the compatibility of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 with Articles 2, 3, 6, 13 and 14, ECHR);
• Energia Group Holdings (ROI) DAC and Ors v Commission for Regulation of Utilities [2024] IESC (acted for the Attorney General who appeared as a Notice Party in a challenge to a decision enacted for the purposes of Article 13(7) of Regulation 2019/943);
• Murphy and Ors v. An Taoiseach and Ors (acting for the Respondents in an ongoing constitutional and ECHR challenge to the State’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis);
• WhatsApp Ireland Limited v. Data Protection Commission (member of the counsel team acting for the Applicant in an ongoing challenge to a decision of the DPC);
• Friends of the Irish Environment CLG v. Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communication and Ors (member of the counsel team acting for the Respondents in an ongoing challenge to the Government’s Sectoral Emissions Ceilings);
• Friends of the Irish Environment CLG v. Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communication and Ors (member of the counsel team acting for the Respondents in an ongoing challenge to the Government’s Long-Term Strategy);
• Quinn Insurance Limited (Under Administration) v PricewaterhouseCoopers (member of the counsel team that acted for the Defendant in a 7 day Commercial Court discovery hearing; ultimately compromised);
• Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and 32 Other States, Application no. 39371/20 (counsel team member in respect of Ireland’s Further Observations before the ECtHR. These proceedings concerned the compatibility of the Respondent States’ efforts to address climate change having regard to the requirements of Articles 2, 3, 8, 14 ECHR.);
• Toole and Ors v. Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Ors [2023] IEHC 403; [2023] IEHC 590; [2023] IEHC 592; [2023] IEHC 716 (acted for the Respondent in a challenge to a licence to investigate the seafloor for the purpose of subsequently developing offshore windfarms);
• Croghan and Ors v.  Collins and Ors [2024] IEHC 607 (acted for the State in a challenge to the intended housing of applicants for international protection in Coolock);
• An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland -v- The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage & Ors [2024] IEHC 129; [2024] IEHC 248; [2024] IEHC 442; [2024] IEHC 472; [2024] IEHC 692; [2024] IEHC 693 (counsel team member acting for the Respondent in a challenge to the State’s Fifth Nitrates Action Programme); and
• C-531/24 An Taisce (counsel team member in an ongoing preliminary reference concerning the State’s Fifth Nitrates Action Programme).

• “Methods of Dramatically Increasing Judicial Capacity”, (2022) 27(5) Bar Review 138.

• “Updates from the TCC — A Year in Review”, paper delivered to the Construction Bar Association of Ireland on 16 February 2022; and
• “The Scope of Public Procurement Law”, lecture delivered to students in the Advanced Diploma in Public Procurement at the King’s Inns on 18 October 2023.

Michael has assisted in a number of pro bono matters, including in preparations for a recent Ireland for Law event, which is the Irish Government’s international legal services strategy.