Ann Power

Ann Power (born 23 November 1962 in Dublin, Ireland, also known as Ann Power-Forde) is an Irish lawyer and academic, and since 22 January 2008 has been the judge in respect of Ireland at the European Court of Human Rights, the international tribunal tasked with enforcement of the European Convention on Human Rights amongst the Council of Europe's forty-seven Member States. Her term on the Court will end in 2014.

Power was born on 23 November 1962 in Dublin. She studied English and Philosophy at the Mater Dei Institute of Education in the city from 1980 to 1984 (B.Rel.Sc. 1984), and for a Master of Education degree at Trinity College, Dublin, specialising in Philosophy, from 1984 to 1987, graduating first class both times. In 1986, she began working as a secondary school English teacher, and in 1987 combined this with lecturing in Philosophy. From 1989 to 1991, whilst still teaching and lecturing, she studied for a Diploma in Legal Studies from the King's Inns, the institution through which barristers are admitted to legal practice in Ireland, and from 1991 to 1993 undertook legal training there as a barrister, winning the John Brooke Scholarship for first place in Ireland in the final Bar examinations. She later completed a DPhil in Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy at University College, Oxford.

Power was admitted as a barrister in 1993 and worked as an advocate before the Superior Courts of Ireland, whilst continuing to lecture in Philosophy. She developed a practice in Constitutional, Public and Medical law, as well as Immigration and Asylum law, and from 1998 to 2003 was a lecturer in Jurisprudence at King's Inns. In 2006, she was appointed Senior Counsel, at one point representing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

European Court of Human Rights

In September 2007, Power was nominated under Article 22 ECHR along with Fionnuala Ní Aoláin and Roger Sweetman to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to be considered for appointment as the judge in respect of Ireland at the European Court of Human Rights. Ní Aoláin withdrew her candidacy shortly afterwards for personal reasons, and in her stead was nominated David Keane. On 22 January 2008, Power was elected, achieving 125 votes out of 173 cast. She was elected at the same time as the judges for Bulgaria, Latvia, Moldova and Turkey, and is a member of Section III of the Court. Her term will expire in 2014.

Shortly after being appointed to the Court, in July 2008, Power withdrew from participating in the case of A, B and C v Ireland, a case brought by three women challenging Ireland's controversial abortion laws. She did so under Rule 28 of the Rules of Court, which restricts a judge from participating in consideration of a case where they will or may not be able to be impartial, for example where a family member is involved or they have previously acted in the matter. She was originally to be replaced in the Grand Chamber hearing by Supreme Court judge Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, however he withdrew on being appointed President of the High Court, and she was instead replaced by Mrs Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan, High Court judge and wife of then Supreme Court judge Hugh Geoghegan.

Power lists her interests as including drama, singing, travelling, painting and hillwalking. She speaks English, Irish, French and Polish. From 1988 to 2000, she was an appointed member of the Academic Council of All Hallows College, a Roman Catholic college in Drumcondra, Dublin, linked to Dublin City University.