Episode 94 Aisling Meehan, Agricultural Solicitor It takes specialist knowledge and understanding to appreciate the problems farmers face today. Every decision is affected by legal, tax and practical considerations specific to farming business. As a qualified solicitor, tax consultant and young trained farmer, Aisling Meehan (ex William Fry) can co…

Recorded at the 2024 ELI (European Law Institute) Annual Conference held at the Kings Inns, Dublin, where Fifth Court presenters, Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL, talk to ELI President, Professor Pascal Pichonnaz Professor Pichonnaz earned a Ph.D. that is in published form as ‘Habilitation’, a large book on the Law of Set-off. He teaches Con…

Episode 92 The Fifth Court Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice in England and Wales and ELI Vice-President who attended the European Law Institute (ELI) conference in Dublin. Established in 2011, the ELI emulates the American Law Institute and focuses on advancing all areas of law across Europe and beyond. As the premier…

Episode 91, The Fifth Court A slightly longer than usual edition of Ireland's favourite podcast as our hosts delve into the light and shade of Arthur Mathews new book, 'Walled In By Hate: Kevin O’Higgins, His Friends and Enemies'. Arthur is well known as co-creator of Father Ted so naturally the talk starts with a chat about the modern sitcom maste…

E90 The Fifth Court - The Vacation Sittings Continuing our series of law related interviews whilst regular presenters Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL take a well-earned break. Life after the law. On this episode, former Senior Counsel Jenny O'Connell along with her pals Louise O'Riordan and Aoife Matthews, have all given up high-powered 'rea…

E89 The Fifth Court - The Vacation Sittings This is the third of four vacation sittings of the Fifth Court. On this episode we've teamed up with our sister podcast That Great Business Show again to bring you an interview with Colm O'Reilly, COO Business Post Group, Chairman Newsbrands Ireland, Board member Press Council of Ireland. Colm discusses t…

E88 The Fifth Court - The Vacation Sittings This is the second of four vacation sittings of the Fifth Court. On this episode we hear our Fifth Court co-presenter turned guest, Mark Tottenham BL and an 'expert witness' expert (!) (he's written the books - plural) talk all about the importance of the 'expert witness', but we start with 'expert witnes…

E87 The Fifth Court This is the first of four vacation sittings of the Fifth Court. On this episode we hear presenter turned guest, Peter Leonard BL and mediator, discuss the virtues of mediation versus litigation, in an interview Peter did recently with Fifth Court producer Conall O Morain, on Conall's own business podcast, That Great Business Sho…

E86 The Fifth Court - DSBA 'Podcast of the Year' On this episode hosts Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL are joined by Isabella Hughes, boxer (!) and former legal executive Cosgrove Gaynard Solicitors who has turned co-founder of Simple Probate, inspired by the founder's experience with probate inefficiencies. Talking to solicitors and executo…

E85 The Fifth Court A most entertaining episode of podcast as our hosts Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL chat to Law Library legend Ercus Stewart, a barrister for almost fifty five years during which time he has probably been involved in every type of legal case imaginable. The three even touch on Master and Servant law! His membership of ass…

E84 The Fifth Court Hosts Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL are joined in studio by solicitor and Partner at Byrne Wallace, Martin Cooney talking about the law and housing development. He thinks he was always was going to be a lawyer having, at the age of 12, drawn up a contract with his own mother, for payments for chores in the family home! …

E83 The Fifth Court Problems have emerged around new legislation around enduring powers of attorney (EPA). On this episode hosts Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL discuss these issues, and some solutions, with David Byrnes BL and solicitor Flor McCarthy, Founder Director of Solicitors Growth, Ireland’s largest independent community of mutual s…

E82 The Fifth Court Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL talk to Kevin O'Higgins, solicitor, about his life and times. As he says himself, 'After 40+ years of practising law, I’ve learned a few things along the way!' and he shares some of that knowledge at https://ohigginssolicitors.ie/blog BTW, when he started in law a fax machine was seen as ne…

E81 The Fifth Court Supported by Clio Legal Software Hosts Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL spoke to Arko Ganguli, co-founder of Letigify, an AI powered solution using audio-video authentication that allows clients to notarize documents online remotely from anywhere, without the hassle of visiting a notary public in person. Arko is a trained …

E80 of The Fifth Court was recorded at the Dublin Tech Summit AI not a concept, but a reality now in law. This is a must listen-to episode if you want to know what's about to happen to your legal practice. Dr Leif-Nissen Lundbæk is FORBES 30-Under-30 Listmaker. He's also co-founder and CEO of the AI company Xayn. His company is working with CMS, an…

E79 The Fifth Court Hosts Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL are joined by barrister Mema Byrne BL, to talk about the 2nd edition of her book, Landlord and Tenant, (Commercial Sector). The three discuss many issues around this area of law in which she works and lectures - but also the road that brought her to law. She worked in banking which sh…

E78 The Fifth Court DSBA Legal Podcast of the Year With thanks to Clio Legal Software. Bloomsday is a celebration of James Joyce's Ulysses, taking place annually on June 16th. The date commemorates the events of the novel, which are set on June 16, 1904. This day is significant because it marks Joyce's first outing with his future wife, Nora Barnac…

E77 The Fifth Court - with @Mark Tottenham BL and @Peter Leonard BL With thanks to Clio Legal Software Something you may not have considered. The Polish community, numbering above 100,000, is one of Ireland's largest non-Irish communities. Naturally, they need legal representation and advice. So who do they go to? Krystian Boino obtained his master…

E76 The Fifth Court DSBA 'Podcast of the Year' With thanks to Clio Legal Software Hosts Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL interrogate Senator (and former councillor) Barry Ward BL about the powers that local authorities have and the claimed powers of local councillors (especially in the light of claims made in election literature).He discusses…

E75 The Fifth Court - recorded at the Solicitor's Growth Summit Our hosts, Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL are joined by barrister Joe Brolly BL, the well know GAA football analyst who played at senior level for Derry and was a member of that county's only All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning side in 1993. An entertaining romp th…

E74 The Fifth Court with Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL From Riverdance to the Four Courts, a life after RTE for TV personality turned barrister Cynthia Ni Mhurchú who is hoping for another career pivot as she stands for election for the EU Parliament. Obviously there was discussion with our two hosts about the iconic Eurovision Song Contes…

E73 The Fifth Court with @Mark Tottenham BL and @Peter Leonard BL were invited to attend a conference in Dublin Castle celebrating 100 years of Irish courts Part 2. Our hosts interviewed Mr. Justice Gerard Hogan and Prof. Diarmaid Ferriter of UCD discussing the founding of the Irish courts system post British rule, the effect of an increase of the …

E72 The Fifth Court with @Mark Tottenham BL and @Peter Leonard BL were invited to attend a conference in Dublin Castle celebrating 100 years of Irish courts Part 1. Our hosts interviewed Mr. Justice Gerard Hogan and Prof. Diarmaid Ferriter of UCD discussing the founding of the Irish courts system post British rule, how politicians had to 'tread sof…

Episode 71 The Fifth Court with Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL The Apple Tax Case Will they, won't they? Should they, would they? Questions, questions, questions about the now infamous 'Apple tax case' whereby some groups are hoping to make the Irish State accept more than €13bn in taxes they say are owed by the global iPhone maker. Meanwhi…

E70 The Fifth Court Hosts Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL entertain a most entertaining guest on this episode. Des Geraghty, a national figure for his work in the trade union movement, former president of SIPTU, one time MEP, a writer, musician and so much more (as you'll hear) joins our two interlocutors to discuss the most interesting case…

E69 The Fifth Court with Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL Liam Herrick, Executive Director of the Irish Council of Civil Liberties talks about the so-called 'Hate Speech' legislation and how difficult it can be to prosecute and enforce such laws. It's a very timely interview about some of the many complexities that could arise from such legis…

E68 The Fifth Court Winner Dublin Solicitors' Bar Association Legal Podcast of the Year Hosts Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL discuss some of the biggest and best known Irish corporate law cases with one of the Big Beasts in corporate law in Ireland, solicitor and Senior Counsel Paul Egan, who has the most fascinating background in theatre, …

E67 The Fifth Court with Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL On this episode, former Garda sergeant now barrister, Michael Daly BL, author of a new book on drink and drug driving in Ireland discusses some of the many legal issues involved in this most contentious area of law. The book a meticulously compiled guide, unravels all the dimensions of…

E66 The Fifth Court Hosts Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL have a most entertaining discussion with retired District Justice, Olann Kelleher, about his fourteen years on the bench in Cork (as well as being on the bench for the historic Munster V All-Blacks match in 1978 - including a classic one-liner from legend Moss Keane). The former judge…

E65 The Fifth Court Saoirse Brady, Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, joins Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL, to talk all things prisons related (including the problems caused by mental health issues in jails - a very, very big problem according to Saoirse). Interestingly, research from Maynooth University is showing that a b…

E64 The Fifth Court, boldly going where no legal podcast has gone before. Hosts Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL talk to Zeldine O'Brien BL, a recognised expert in international space law who knows who 'owns' the Moon? What laws do you have to observe if you venture into outer space? Can you sell property on other planets? This is just brilli…

E63 The Fifth Court With two referendums (*see note below) looming, hosts Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL invited two top law academics to studio to discuss the issues involved. Deirdre McGowan of TU Dublin and Maebh Harding of UCD are two of the authors of a book, 'Family Law in Context', a textbook for those wishing to study the latest dev…

Episode 62, hosts Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL, discuss the Northern Ireland Troubles Legacy Act 2023 - an extremely controversial piece of legislation with well-known solicitor Darragh Mackin. "You wouldn't see the like of it in Russia." Darragh Mackin of Belfast based Phoenix Law, has been described as ‘a rising star on the internationa…

E61 The Fifth Court Hosts Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL have a wide ranging discussion with outgoing Data Protection Commissioner, Helen Dixon, about all things data protection, including the newest redress arising out of the 2018 GDPR Act, that allows for 'non material damage'. Amongst many insights she gives she says that there is excess…

E60 The Fifth Court Interlocutors, Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL, put the CEO of the Corporate Enforcement Authority, Ian Drennan, under the spotlight. An accountant, Ian worked on the infamous DIRT inquiry during his time with the Comptroller and Auditor General's office and he discusses those times. In 2002 he moved to the nascent Office…

E59 The Fifth Court The Future of Legal Practice Summit, Part 2, at The Law Society of Ireland Our award winning podcasters, Peter Leonard, BL and Mark Tottenham BL, are joined by solicitors Sonia McEntee (Cavan based) and David Peters (based in Nenagh, Tipperary) to discuss the very real threat to the legal profession in rural Ireland. In this sec…

E58 The Fifth Court The Future of Legal Practice Summit, Part 1, at The Law Society of Ireland Our award winning podcasters, Peter Leonard, BL and Mark Tottenham BL, are joined by solicitors Sonia McEntee (qualified 1998, now Cavan based) and David Peters (based in Nenagh, Tipperary) to discuss the very real threat to the legal profession in rural …

In a change to the regular podcast format our two co-presenters, Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL, discuss a case that has fascinated Mark for years. It's Griffith V Griffith, a case from 1944, that demonstrates the massive shifts in Irish life since that time. It's a case that involves a weekend away in Howth, sex outside marriage, a pregnan…

On Episode 56 Martin Bradley, an archivist and recently qualified barrister, talks about cultural heritage and the repatriation of cultural artefacts. But first our hosts, Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL, asked Martin what made him turn his back on the GLAM sector. The GLAM sector? Listen to find out all about it as well as what the rights a…

Episode 55 The Fifth Court - Ireland's legal podcast On this episode hosts Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL talk to Mark Garrett, two years into his role as Director General of the Law Society of Ireland. This is a fantastic insight into what the challenges for the solicitor's profession may be in the coming years, and what the Law Society is…

Episode 54 The Fifth Court Hosts Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL interview Sarah Reid BL (2008) and Aran Grealish BL (2022), about their book The Devil's Handbook. No, not a recipe for magic spells, but an essential primer for those starting out at the bar. Our two hosts also discuss three more current cases from the Decisis.ie Law Reports c…

E53 The Fifth Court, presented by Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL Running the same legal practice for 140 years. How do you do it? Pearts is a byword in the Irish legal scene, particularly for its 'Town Agency' practice that represents 850 solicitors right across the country. Founded in 1883 the practice is now run by 4th generation Valerie …

E52 The Fifth Court The world of arbitration in sport. Fantastic insight into the similarities and the differences between how the rules and regulations of different sporting codes are applied, both in Ireland and across the globe. Sports arbitration barristers Aoife Farrelly who has a major involvement with the GAA (and tug-of-war!) is joined by b…

E51 The Fifth Court Hosts Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL talk to Irish Times journalist, Ronan McGreevy, co-author a new book about the 1983 IRA kidnapping of Don Tidey called, 'The Kidnapping: A hostage, a desperate manhunt and a bloody rescue that shocked Ireland'. Now, 40 years after the event, the book comes as a timely reminder of the …

E50 The Fifth Court. Presenters Mark Tottenham BL and Peter Leonard BL continue their chat about the seismic McGee V AG case, fifty years ago, with Supreme Court judge, Mr. Justice Gerard Hogan. (Make sure to listen back to E49 for the first part of this riveting chat). He talks about the David Norris case and its importance. The two also discuss t…

E 49 The Fifth Court's interlocutors, Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL have a fascinating discussion with Mr. Justice Gerald Hogan of the Supreme Court. This is required listening for anyone interested in Irish constitutional law. Fifty years ago, the Supreme Court gave a seismic judgement on the 19th of December 1973 in the McGee v. The Atto…

E48 The Fifth Court with Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL Barry Andrews, Dublin MEP and former barrister joins The Fifth Court to talk about his careers as a lawyer, a national and a European politician, his lawyer/politician dad, David Andrews (88) who was Minister for Foreign Affairs during the Good Friday Agreement negotiations and his gra…

E47 The Fifth Court - Ireland's legal podcast. Presenters Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham talk to Tim Ryan, former journalist and now author of Housing: A Missed Opportunity that reveals for the first time the tangled story of the Kenny Report published by the Irish Government in 1973 aimed at curbing house prices by capping the price of develo…

E46 The Fifth Court - Ireland's legal podcast Peter Leonard BL and Mark Tottenham BL talk to E46 The Fifth Court, Michael O'Flaherty, Director of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency - about implementing human rights 'on the ground'. Michael studied in law in UCD, became a solicitor, then trained as a priest, left the priesthood and became a human righ…

E45 The Fifth Court - barristers both, Peter Leonard and Mark Tottenham cross examine Niamh Howlin, Ass. Professor of Law at UCD, about her new book, 'Barristers in Ireland, an evolving profession since 1921'. She talks about the not insignificant roles that barristers, practicing and non-practicing, have played in Irish public life. It's the first…