Richard West (Lord Chancellor of Ireland)

Richard West (c. 1691 – 3 December 1726) was an 18th-century lawyer, judge, playwright and politician. He represented Grampound and Bodmin in the English Parliament and was Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1725 to 1726, succeeding Alan Brodrick, 1st Viscount Midleton.

West was born in London, son of Richard West senior, a merchant (who outlived him).

West was called to the Bar in 1714 and became one of its leaders in a remarkably short time; he was made King's Counsel and a Bencher of the Inner Temple in 1717. In the House of Commons, he made his reputation as one of the managers of the impeachment of Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, the Lord Chancellor, in 1725: his speech for the prosecution was described as "masterly". Shortly afterwards he went to Ireland as Lord Chancellor, although it was said that he would have preferred to be Recorder of London.

As Lord Chancellor he gained a reputation for exceptional severity in enforcement of the Penal Laws, encouraging informers to discover secret ( i.e. collusive) trusts by Protestant trustees in favour of Catholics. In the case of Leymore v Bourke he appeared to extend the Penal Laws to cover not only actual but constructive Papists, the latter including Protestants who married Roman Catholics.

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