Richard Wilson Greene

Who was Richard Wilson Greene?

Richard Wilson Greene PC, KC was an Irish judge.

Greene was born in Dublin, the son of Sir Jonas Greene, Recorder of Dublin, and graduated from the University of Dublin, where he was auditor of the College Historical Society. He was called to the Bar in 1814 and became King's Counsel in 1830.

In 1831 he was the first person to be appointed to the new position of Law Adviser to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, which ranked below the two senior law officers, but was nonetheless a very onerous Crown office. The choice was an interesting one since Greene was a political opponent of the Government of the day.

He became Solicitor-General for Ireland in 1842 and was Attorney-General for Ireland briefly in 1846. He was raised to the Bench as Baron of the Court of Exchequer in 1852 and served till shortly before his death in 1861. He married Elizabeth Wilson of Fulford.

He made his reputation as an advocate with an impressive closing speech for the Crown at the trial of Daniel O'Connell in 1844; according to Elrington Ball his appointment to the Bench was due to the personal regard of Lord Derby, the Prime Minister.