Interest expected to be high in State Solicitor job for Sligo
APPLICATIONS closed on Friday for the State Solicitor’s job in Sligo.
Present incumbent Mr Hugh Sheridan is retiring from the position after the current sessions of the Circuit Court concludes before Christmas.
A new State Solicitor is expected to be appointed early in the New Year. The successful candidate will be employed on a contract basis of up to ten years duration.
Applications for the position closed at 5pm last Friday and had been available from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Dublin.
Interest in the post is said to be keen with solicitors in Sligo and outside of the county expressing an interest in the prestigious job.
The State Solicitor deals with all criminal indictable cases in the County leading to Circuit Court jury trials, preparing Books of Evidence in all criminal cases to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin while also acting as advisor to the Gardai, with all files sent to the DPP passing through his office,
The State Solicitor also prosecutes all summary appeals in the County in the Circuit Court and acts as prosecutor for various state agencies such as Department of Social Protection in fraud cases, Revenue Commissioners including Customs, National Employment Rights Authority, Road Safety Authority, Health and Safety Authority, ESB Revenue and An Post TV licence evasion.
Mr Sheridan, a native of Dublin, opened his own practice in Sligo in 1989 at Chapel Street.
In 1998 after a public competition Hugh was appointed by the Attorney General as State Solicitor for County Sligo and was reappointed in that role in October 2012 by the DPP.
He has also operated his own private general practice. A two week sitting of the criminal Circuit Court starts today in Sligo for two weeks and this will be Mr Sheridan’s last involvement as State Solicitor. He had succeeded Ballymote’s Mr Thomas Tighe to the position of State Solicitor in Sligo.