The Rt Hon Dame Siobhan Keegan

Dame Siobhan Keegan was appointed as a High Court Judge in October 2015.

Prior to becoming a judge, Dame Siobhan, a Queen’s University alumna, graduating with LLB Honours in 1993, was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1994 and became a Queen’s Counsel in 2006.

During her career at the Bar, Dame Siobhan served as Vice Chair of the Bar of Northern Ireland, Chair of the Young Bar, Chair of the Family Bar Association, Chair of the Bar Charity Committee and she was a long standing member of the Bar Professional Conduct Committee.

Dame Siobhan was the Judge in Residence at the Queen’s University of Belfast from November 2015 until August 2021. She became a Bencher of the Northern Ireland Inn of Court in 2015 and an Honorary Bencher of Gray's Inn in 2020. Dame Siobhan was a member of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) from April 2016 until August 2021. She was also the Northern Ireland representative on the Franco-British-Irish Judicial Cooperation Committee.

Dame Siobhan was appointed as a Coroner in July 2017 and was the Presiding Coroner from September 2017 until September 2020. She was assigned to hear Judicial Reviews from 2017 until 2020. Dame Siobhan was the Senior Family Judge in the High Court of Northern Ireland from April 2020 until her appointment as Lady Chief Justice. During her tenure in the Family Division she was also the designated Northern Ireland judicial member of the International Hague Network of Judges.

Dame Siobhan was a Commissioner in the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission (NIJAC) from November 2018 until August 2021 and took on the role of Chair on her appointment as Lady Chief Justice.

Dame Siobhan was sworn in as Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland on 2 September 2021. She became an Honorary Bencher of King’s Inns in 2022.