Leo Skinner

Who was Leo Skinner?

Leo Baptist Skinner was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A solicitor, he practiced in Mitchelstown with, and later took over the practice from, his father James. G. Skinner. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Cork North constituency at the 1943 general election, and was re-elected at the 1944 general election. He lost his seat at the 1948 general election. He was appointed a District Court judge in 1966.

His daughter Geraldine Skinner became the Legal Adviser in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin and subsequently the Irish Ambassador in Luxembourg. He was the uncle of James John Skinner the Zambian politician and jurist who was the first Minister of Justice of independent Zambia and subsequently Chief Justice of Zambia and then Chief Justice of Malawi.