Our School is delighted to announce the release of two new recordings in our Legal Practitioner Series - featuring, for the first time, members of the judiciary in Northern Ireland. We were greatly privileged to have these esteemed judges contribute their time, experience and reflections for the benefit of our students. Led and facilitated by Deirdre Timoney, Employability and Placement Officer, this initiative reflects our School’s continued commitment to connecting students with influential figures across the legal profession.
https://vimeo.com/1166640838?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
A graduate of Queen’s Law (LLB 1993), Dame Siobhan has enjoyed a distinguished career spanning practice, judicial leadership and public service. Called to the Bar of Northern Ireland, she held a number of leadership roles within the profession before her appointment to the High Court. She served as Presiding Coroner and Senior Family Judge and has contributed extensively to judicial training and international judicial cooperation. In September 2021, she was sworn in as Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, the most senior judicial office in the jurisdiction. With this appointment, she became the first woman ever to hold the role—a major milestone in the history of Northern Ireland’s judiciary.
https://vimeo.com/1166640876?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
District Judge Marshall qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and practised for over a decade in criminal and human rights law. She subsequently held roles within the Children’s Law Centre and the Public Prosecution Service before being appointed as a Deputy District Judge in 2013. Alongside her judicial work, she undertook a range of legally qualified and tribunal leadership positions across justice, education and regulatory settings. She was appointed as a substantive District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) in June 2022.
In their interviews, both judges discuss their paths to the Bench, outline how the Northern Ireland judiciary works, and highlight the skills and values essential to judicial office. They also offer practical advice for students exploring long‑term legal careers. These recordings add important judicial perspectives to the series, demystifying judicial appointments and illuminating one of the most senior and distinctive pathways a law degree can lead to.
We were privileged to welcome both judges to the School and create this valuable on‑demand resource for our students.
Students can access these recordings in the Canvas Law1000 Employability Section under Legal Practitioner Interviews
L-R Deirdre Timoney (School’s Employability and Placement Officer) and Dame Siobhan Keegan, Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland
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