Hugh Holmes

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Hugh Holmes (17 February 1840–19 April 1916) was an Irish Conservative Party then after 1886 a Unionist Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom Parliament and subsequently a Judge. He was born in Dungannon, County Tyrone.

He attended Trinity College, Dublin. He was called to the English bar in 1864 and to the Irish bar in 1865. He became a Queen's Counsel (QC) in 1877.

Holmes was appointed Solicitor General for Ireland on 14 December 1878 and served until the Conservative government was defeated in 1880. He became Attorney General for Ireland 1885-86 and 1886-87. He was made a member of the Privy Council of Ireland on 2 July 1885.

He was MP for Dublin University 1885-1887.

Holmes retired from the House of Commons when he was appointed a Judge in 1887. He was a Justice of the Common Pleas Division of the High Court of Ireland until 1888 when he became a Justice of the Queen's Bench Division. He was promoted to be a Lord Justice of Appeal in 1897. Ill health caused his retirement in 1914.

He appeared to be a stern judge, who did not suffer fools gladly and often imposed severe sentences in criminal cases. His judgments did however display some good humour and humanity and the sentences he imposed sometimes were less severe than those he actually announced in Court.