Senior counsel Turlough O'Donnell was yesterday elected chairman of the Bar Council. He was the sole nomination for the position.
Mr O'Donnell will hold the position for one year and can be nominated for a second term.
The function of the Bar Council is to govern barristers. Some 20 members sit on the council, and the attorney general is an ex-officio member.
A native of Belfast, Mr O'Donnell was educated at St Mary's CBS, Belfast, followed by University College Dublin, where he obtained a bachelor of law degree. He then went on to qualify as a barrister at King's Inns, Dublin.
Mr O'Donnell was called to the bar in 1979, and became a senior counsel in 1997. His practice consists mainly of medical negligence and general common law.
He served as chairman of the arbitration and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) committee to the Bar Council.
He is also a member of the board of the Northside Community Law Centre.
Mr O'Donnell is married with four children.