Robert Purcell – leading criminal defence solicitor was known for his compassion and determined advocacy

Robert Purcell (1974-2023) died on February 27th. Robert was widely regarded as one of the leading criminal defence solicitors in the country having spent his entire career with the firm of M.E. Hanahoe Solicitors.

Robert was the son of the legendary Galway GAA player Sean Purcell and came from a large extended family. A graduate of Garbally College in Ballinasloe, Robert completed his undergraduate degree at Waterford Institute of Technology before graduating from Trinity College Dublin where he completed a master’s in law in 1997. He completed a traineeship with M.E. Hanahoe Solicitors and was admitted to the roll of solicitors in 2004. While training to be a solicitor, Robert met Tessa Robinson, who was training to become a barrister. They married at Ballintubber Abbey, Co Mayo, in 2005.

He was made partner with the firm in 2015.

A protégé of Michael Hanahoe, Robert focused his practice on criminal defence which he mastered over a 20-year career advising clients in cases appearing before the District, Circuit, Central Criminal and Supreme Court as well as the Court of Appeal and European Court of Human Rights.

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A champion for unpopular causes, he was a consistent advocate that a strong defence is the measure of a strong justice system. Robert built a reputation for defending the most challenging cases concerning the most troubling of accusations. He afforded the same level of respect and dignity to all those whom he represented, without consideration of background or history, and approached each case with diligence and professionalism regardless of the charges his clients faced. Compassionate and empathetic, he was particularly admired for the lengths he went to in comforting and assuring the families of the accused subjected to the stress and anxiety of having a loved one exposed to the criminal justice system.

Robert was a long-standing member of the Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee having joined in it 2009 and eventually becoming its chairman. Colleagues described Robert as a leader in building a robust criminal justice system in the county and a powerhouse behind all of the major policy reform initiatives of the Criminal Law Committee.

Some of Robert’s more notable contributions included assisting with the Law Reform Commission consultation paper on jury service, providing commentary on the Gender Recognition Act 2015 and its impact on transgender prisoners and addressing the Dail Justice Committee on the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) (Amendment) Bill 2018. Robert was also a member of the Law Society Gazette editorial board and frequently contributed to the publication by writing articles or facilitating interviews concerning developments in criminal law.

Robert was also keenly interested in legal education and dedicated to ensuring that criminal law maintained a high profile in the training of solicitors. He was extremely generous with his time, knowledge and talent and was often observed in the courts offering counsel and guidance to more junior solicitors in other firms on the intricacies of complex applications and procedures. A regular lecturer and tutor on the professional practice course, Robert delivered Continuing professional development (CPD) papers on the Criminal Justice Act 2011 and District Court rules and, following the decision to permit solicitors to be present to advise during questioning, co–authored the Law Society’s guidance for solicitors attending Garda stations.

Robert’s love of sport and dedication to physical fitness was well known. A long-term follower of Galway hurling and he was in Croke Park to see his team lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup in 2017. A keen cyclist, when not otherwise traversing the country on his road bike, he could often be observed racing along the quays between his Office at Sunlight Chambers on Parliament Street, the Criminal Courts of Justice, and various Garda stations, always substituting his helmet for his trademark military cap on arrival.

His son Rory tragically passed away last year on February 1st, 2022. Robert struggled with Rory’s passing for a year before finally succumbing to a broken heart. He is survived by his wife Tessa, daughter Amy, and son Aran.