• Christopher Palles (1831-1920) was born in Dublin and was a renowned Irish judge.
• He was educated in Clongowes and Trinity and later in the King’s Inns Dublin and Gray’s Inn London. He was called to the bar in 1853.
• In 1872 he was appointed by Gladstone as Solicitor General for Ireland and later that year to the post of Attorney General in Ireland.
• Palles was interested in politics and supported the Liberal Party. He contested a by-election in 1872 against a Home Rule candidate and a Conservative which split the Catholic vote and resulted in a win for the Conservatives.
• He was regarded as controversial due to his support for the Home Rule Party and his failure to support Cardinal Cullen in his denunciation of non denominational universities.
• In 1874 he was appointed the senior judicial post of Chief Baron of the Exchequer Division.
• He was on the bench for forty-two years and was regarded a judge of the highest standard.
• In 1909 Palles was involved in the establishment of the National University of Ireland and UCD.
• He retired from the bench in 1916 at the age of 85 and died in Dublin in 1920.

The collections can be consulted by the students and staff of UCD, and by external users, in the Special Collections Reading Room.