John Larkin


John Larkin QC was Attorney General for Northern Ireland from May 2010 to June 2020.  Educated at Queen’s University Belfast, he was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in Michaelmas term 1986 and later to the Bar of Ireland. Between 1989 and 1991 he was Reid Professor of Criminal Law in Trinity College Dublin. He took silk in Michaelmas term 2001.  John remains in private practice in Northern Ireland, working mainly in public and commercial law.  His publications for Policy Exchange include The ECHR and the Future of Northern Ireland’s Past and Ten Ways to Improve the Overseas Operations Bill (with Professor Richard Ekins).

Related Posts & Publications

Crossing the Line?

Crossing the Line?

by | Jan 12, 2022

Related Content The Attorney General and the Law/Politics Divide This paper defends the legitimacy of the Attorney General’s decision to offer public remarks on judicial review and rejects the characterisation that they pushed impermissibly at the boundaries of her...
Human Rights Law Reform

Human Rights Law Reform

by | Dec 11, 2021

Related Content How and Why to Amend the Human Rights Act 1998 This paper is the text of the submission made on behalf of Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project to the Independent Human Rights Act Review, chaired by Sir Peter Gross.  This paper argues that the Human...
Ten Ways to Improve the Overseas Operations Bill

Ten Ways to Improve the Overseas Operations Bill

by | Jan 20, 2021

Related Content This short paper sets out ten ways in which the Overseas Operations Bill could be amended to improve its effectiveness and to minimise the risk of unintended consequences. None of the proposed changes are wrecking amendments. Like many...
Overseas Operations Bill

Overseas Operations Bill

by | Sep 23, 2020

Related Content A Policy Exchange Research Note While one might question the Bill in many ways, says John Larkin QC, former Attorney General for Northern Ireland, it is badly mistaken to portray as “impunity” the Bill’s attempt to make limited provision for the future...