James Anthony Lawson

James Anthony Lawson PC, QC (1817–1887), was an Irish academic, lawyer and judge.

Lawson was born at Waterford, the eldest son of James Lawson, by Mary Anthony, daughter of Joseph Anthony, and was educated at the endowed school there. Having entered Trinity College, Dublin, he was elected a scholar in 1836, obtained a senior moderatorship in 1837, and was a gold medallist and first class in ethics and logic. He graduated B.A. 1838, LL.B. 1841, and LL.D. 1850, and served as Whately professor of political economy from 1840 to 1845.

Lawson was called to the Irish Bar in 1840, and soon obtained a good practice, especially in the courts of equity. On 29 January 1857 he was gazetted a Queen's Counsel, elected bencher of King's Inns, Dublin, 1861, and acted as Law Adviser to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1858 to 1859. He was appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland in February 1861, and in 1865 Attorney-General for Ireland, when he was sworn a member of the Irish privy council.

As Attorney-General he had in 1865 to grapple with the Fenian conspiracy, when he suppressed the Irish People newspaper, and the leaders were arrested and prosecuted. On 4 April 1857 he unsuccessfully contested the seat for Dublin University, but on 15 July 1865 came in for Portarlington, and continued to represent that place till November 1868, when he was defeated on the general election in December. He was appointed fourth justice of the Court of Common Pleas, Ireland, in December 1868, and held the post till June 1882, when he was transferred to the Queen's Bench division.

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