THE BARRISTER WHO led the prosecutions of some of the country’s highest profile murder cases of recent years has been appointed to the High Court. Sean Gillane was appointed as a High Court judge by President Michael D Higgins at a ceremony today. The ceremony also saw Alexander Owens, who was a judge of the High Court, appointed to now serve on the Court of Appeal. Gillane, who was a senior counsel for the past 16 years, has played a senior role in some of the most well-known court trials of recent years. He was called to the bar in 1997 and became a senior counsel in 2009.