David Richard Pigot PC, KC (c. 1803 – 22 December 1873) was one of the leading Irish judges of his time.
Pigot was born in Kilrush, the only son of John Pigot, a doctor. He went to school in Fermoy and graduated from the University of Dublin. Originally he intended to follow his father's profession and studied medicine in Edinburgh; he later decided on law and was called to the Bar in 1826 and became King's Counsel in 1835. He was appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland in 1839 and elected to Parliament as member for Clonmel in the same year. He was Attorney-General for Ireland from 1840 to 1841. In 1846 he was appointed Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer and held that office until his death - he was briefly considered for the office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1868.
Both Ball in " The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921" [1] and Delaney in his biography of Pigot's successor Christopher Palles[2] praise Pigot highly as a judge of great intelligence, high principles and integrity; both agree that he had one fault- his habit of inquiring into the most minute details of litigation greatly prolonged the length of the hearing. Questions were raised about his ability to perform his duties, but only on health grounds: in 1855 the Law Times named him as one of five senior judges alleged to be too old or ill to perform effectively, and noted that he had spent six months in Spain for his health.[3]
Pigot married Catherine Page in 1821 - many of their descendants were distinguished lawyers.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nicholas Ball |
Member of Parliament for Clonmel 1839–1846 |
Succeeded by Hon. Cecil Lawless |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Maziere Brady |
Solicitor-General for Ireland 1839–1840 |
Succeeded by Richard Moore |
| Preceded by Maziere Brady |
Attorney-General for Ireland 1840–1841 |
Succeeded by Francis Blackburne |
| Preceded by Maziere Brady |
Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer 1846–1873 |
Succeeded by Christopher Palles |