John M. Kelly (politician)


John Maurice Kelly was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism from 1981 to 1982, Minister for Foreign Affairs from June 1981 to October 1981, Attorney General of Ireland from May 1977 to July 1977 and Government Chief Whip from 1973 to 1977. He served as a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South-Central from 1973 to 1989. He was a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel from 1969 to 1973.

Education

Kelly received his primary and secondary education at St Conleth's College in Dublin 4 and at the Glenstal Abbey School in County Limerick, respectively.
He attended University College Dublin between 1949 and 1954, and carried out postgraduate studies in the Heidelberg University, Germany, from 1954 to 1956. His thesis was published in 1957 as "Princeps Iudex".

Academic career

In the early 1960s, Kelly held a position as a don in Trinity College, Oxford.
He was a distinguished academic, serving for many years as Professor of Constitutional law, Roman law and Jurisprudence in University College Dublin. He was author of the standard work on the Constitution of Ireland; though published after Kelly's death, the third and later editions of this work still bear his name in honour of the original book. He was instrumental in the revival of the Irish law journal The Irish Jurist in the 1960s.

Political career

He first stood for election at the 1969 general election as a Fine Gael candidate in the Dublin South-Central constituency. He was not elected to Dáil Éireann on that occasion, but was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann as a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann on his second attempt at the 1973 general election as a Fine Gael TD. He then won election from Dublin County South in 1977, before moving to the Dublin South constituency until his retirement from politics at the 1989 general election. He served in the Government of Liam Cosgrave as Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach and while keeping that post also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence until May 1977, at which point he became Attorney General of Ireland, succeeding Declan Costello upon the latter's appointment to the High Court.
He served in Garret FitzGerald's first Cabinet from 1981 until 1982 as Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism. Kelly was also appointed as acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, pending the appointment of James Dooge, who was to appointed to the Seanad, and as a Minister in October 1981.
Kelly declined appointment to FitzGerald's second government. Kelly felt that Irish politics should be aligned more on European ideological lines, and he promoted closer alignment with Fianna Fáil and the end of coalition with the Labour Party. He did not seek re-election to the Dáil at the 1989 general election.

Personal life

Kelly's son Nick was lead singer and songwriter with Irish rock band The Fat Lady Sings.
Kelly died on 24 January 1991, aged 59, after suffering a heart attack.

Publications

Fiction:
Non-Fiction:

John M. Kelly Memorial Lecture

Since 1994, University College Dublin has hosted an annual John M. Kelly Memorial Lecture on law, with international legal experts asked to deliver papers. The lectures to date include:
  1. Savigny in the Strand – the Rt. Hon, the Lord Rodger of Earlsferry QC
  2. Harassment and Hubris: The Right to an Equality of Respect – Prof. Peter Birks, Regius Professor of Civil Law at the University of Oxford
  3. A Sense of Proportionality – the Rt. Hon, the Lord Leonard Hoffman
  4. Towards a Supreme Court? The British Experience – Michael Beloff, QC and President of Trinity College Oxford
  6. Stands Scotland where she did? New Unions for Old in these Islands – Prof Neil MacCormick
  8. Corrective and Distributive Justice in Tort Law – the Rt. Hon, the Lord Steyn
  9. Scholarship, Reputation of Scholarship, and Legacy: Provocative Reflections from a Comparatist’s Point of View – Prof. Basil Markesinis QC
  10. Liability for Non-Conformity: The new system of remedies in German sales' law and its historical context – Prof. Reinhard Zimmermann
  11. Law Maker or Law Reformer – what is a Law Lady for? – the Rt. Hon, the Baroness Brenda Hale of Richmond
  12. Should Strict Criminal Liability be Removed from all Imprisonable Offences? – Professor Andrew Ashworth, the Vinerian Professor of English Law at the University of Oxford
  13. Justice, Memory and Art - Mr Justice Albie Sachs
  14. Diversity in Family Life: Developments in the Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights - Ms Ann Power Forde, SC
  15. International Aspects of the Constitution: Skibbereen Eagle or a Shaft of Dawn for the Despairing and Wretched Everywhere? - The Hon. Mr. Justice Donal O’Donnell
  16. Adverse Possession - Still an Ailing Concept? - Professor John Wylie
  17. On Lord Ellenborough's Law of Humanity - Professor Gerry Whyte
  18. Populism and the Rule of Law - Professor Nicola Lacey CBE

    The Irish Jurist Memorial Issue

Volumes XXV-XXVII of The Irish Jurist, covering the years 1990–1992, were published in memory of John Kelly.