Richard Segrave


Richard Segrave was an Irish judge, remembered chiefly for sitting in judgement on his colleague Nicholas Nugent, who was the only Irish judge ever to be hanged by the Government which appointed him for treason.

Family

He was the son of Patrick Segrave head of the prominent landowning family of Killegland, now Ashbourne, County Meath; the Richard Sydgrave who was Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer 1423-5, was a member of the same family, if not a direct ancestor. His date of birth is not recorded but he was still a minor when his father died. He entered Gray's Inn in 1560.

Nicholas Nugent

In 1578 he became second Baron of the Court of Exchequer on the suspension of Nicholas Nugent. This in itself caused comment when in 1582 Segrave was one of three judges called on to sit on a special commission at Trim, County Meath, to try Nugent, who had been restored to favour as Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas, but was now charged with complicity in the rebellion of his nephew William Nugent. The trial gave rise to deep disquiet, due partly to the failure of the Crown to produce two witnesses, as normally required in a treason trial, and partly due to the perceived bias of the judges, especially Sir Robert Dillon, a lifelong enemy of Nugent. Whether Segrave had any personal bias against Nugent is not known, but he had profited by his disgrace, and was personally close to Robert Dillon. Further, contrary to the modern principle of judicial impartiality, it was said that the judges were chosen for their personal knowledge of Nugent. It was also said that pressure was put on the jury to convict, although this was the usual practice in English treason trials. Nugent was found guilty and hanged, but the affair caused such unease that it was later suggested that only English-born judges should sit in Irish Courts as Irish judges were not capable of administering impartial justice.

Death

He died in 1598 and was buried at Ashbourne. He married twice and was the father of Patrick Segrave, who like his father became a Baron of the Exchequer but was later removed for corruption.