Cahir O'Higgins

Cahir O'Higgins (born 1975) is an Irish solicitor and criminal law and human rights advocate. He is known for his work and advocacy in high-profile criminal DeFence cases.

Personal life

He was born in Dublin, Ireland, named after his grand-uncle Cahir Davitt, son of Land league founder, workers rights activist and Fenian leader Michael Davitt.

He was educated in St Brigid's vocational school, Loughrea, National University of Ireland, Galway and the Law Society of Ireland. O'Higgins comes from a well-established Irish political family. His paternal grandfather was Thomas F. O'Higgins, a former cabinet minister. His granduncle was Kevin O'Higgins. O'Higgins's uncle was Tom O'Higgins, a former chief justice and presidential candidate in 1966 and 1973. His maternal grandmother married Patrick Hogan , who later became the first minister for agriculture after the death of her first husband Michael Davitt. His cousins sit as Judges of both the Supreme court and High court of Ireland.

His mother Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins was a former member of parliament, as was his father, Michael O'Higgins. His parents were the first married couple ever to be elected to the same Dáil.

O'Higgins is married to Alison Sherlock and has four children.

His involvement in Human Rights law originated in student politics where he served as anti-discrimination officer on the National University of Ireland Galway, Students Union.

Career

O'Higgins career began as a journalist while in National University of Ireland Galway, editing the University paper. He went on to write for Time Magazine, (New York Stock Exchange edition) ultimately becoming an online editor with a national newspaper. At 24 years of age he set up an internet company with two college friends to pay his way through law school. The sites Antonom.ie and Studentireland.com were later sold on to an international media organisation. A year after selling the company he returned to full-time education and pursued his career in law.

He trained in the well known commercial law firm Byrne Wallace and on completion of his training joined Michael Staines and Company. He then established Cahir O’Higgins and Company Solicitors. He has represented numerous celebrities, minorities and high profile cases before the courts. He campaigned and litigated in respect of the access to services and rights issue of the Roma community in Ireland establishing access to health, Education and Court Services for them. In 2012, O'Higgins earned more than €670,000 from Ireland's legal aid system.

His work involving the Irish Water protest cases was marked out by the release of protestors when the president of the Irish High court overturned a contempt detention order imprisoning four protestors on a writ of habeas corpus. He also represented Heather Perrin who was the only Irish judge to be prosecuted before the courts as a sitting judge.