O'Callaghan, Opposition Spokesperson for Justice and Equality. The decision to nominate Whelan to the Court of Appeal was taken at the last cabinet meeting presided by Enda Kenny as Taoiseach, and it was widely viewed as a farewell gift by a Taoiseach to a trusted Attorney General. Although the decision was taken under Kenny, it was left to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to defend and implement it, causing the first controversy of his term of office as Taoiseach. Notwithstanding the controversy, Whelan did not withdraw her name for consideration and was rapidly appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal by the President of Ireland on 19 June 2017. She made the formal declaration as a Judge of the Court of Appeal on 21 June 2017. After her appointment and declaration, when she was already a sitting judge, her ability was the subject of exchanges between Micheál Martin and Leo Varadkar in Dáil Éireann leading to fears over the stability of the government. These exchanges led to what was seen as a public rebuke of the Taoiseach and Martin by the then Chief Justice of Ireland, Susan Denham, defending the independence of the judiciary. References Works 1956 births Living people Alumni of the University of Galway Alumni of the University of London Attorneys General of Ireland Irish barristers Irish women judges Irish women lawyers Judges of the Court of Appeal (Ireland) People from Kinvara 20th-century Irish lawyers 21st-century Irish lawyers Alumni of King's Inns 20th-century women lawyers 21st-century women lawyers