John Maurice Kelly (31 August 1931 – 24 January 1991) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism from 1981 to 1982, acting Minister for Foreign Affairs from June 1981 to October 1981, Attorney General from May 1977 to July 1977 and Government Chief Whip from 1973 to 1977. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-Central from 1973 to 1977 and for Dublin South from 1977 to 1989. He was a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel from 1969 to 1973.^[2]

Kelly received his primary and secondary education at St Conleth's College in Dublin 4 and at the Glenstal Abbey School in County Limerick, respectively.

He attended University College Dublin between 1949 and 1954, and carried out postgraduate studies in the Heidelberg University, Germany, from 1954 to 1956. His thesis was published in 1957 as "Princeps Iudex".

In the early 1960s, Kelly held a position as a don in Trinity College, Oxford.

He was a distinguished academic, serving for many years as Professor of Constitutional law, Roman law and Jurisprudence in University College Dublin. He was author of the standard work on the Constitution of Ireland; though published after Kelly's death, the third and later editions of this work still bear his name in honour of the original book. He was instrumental in the revival of the Irish law journal The Irish Jurist in the 1960s.

He first stood for election at the 1969 general election as a Fine Gael candidate in the Dublin South-Central constituency. He was not elected to Dáil Éireann on that occasion, but was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann as a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel. He was elected to Dublin South-Central on his second attempt at the 1973 general election as a Fine Gael TD.^[3] He was elected for Dublin County South in 1977, and for Dublin South constituency from 1981 until his retirement from politics at the 1989 general election.

He served in the government of Liam Cosgrave (1973–77) as Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach with responsibility as Government Chief Whip and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence.^[4] In May 1977, he was appointed as Attorney General of Ireland, succeeding Declan Costello upon the latter's appointment to the High Court.^[5]

He served in Garret FitzGerald's first cabinet from 1981 until 1982 as Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism.^[6] Kelly was also appointed as acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, pending the appointment of James Dooge, who was to be appointed to the Seanad, and as a Minister in October 1981.^[7]

Kelly declined appointment to FitzGerald's second government (1982–87). Kelly felt that Irish politics should be aligned more on European ideological lines, and he promoted closer alignment with Fianna Fáil and the end of coalition with the Labour Party.^{[citation needed]} He did not seek re-election to the Dáil at the 1989 general election.

Kelly's son Nick was lead singer and songwriter with Irish rock band The Fat Lady Sings.^[8]

Kelly died on 24 January 1991, aged 59, after suffering a heart attack.

Fiction:

• Matters of Honour [as John Boyle] (London, New Authors Limited, 1964)
• The Polling of the Dead (Moytura Press, 1993) ISBN 1-871305-18-7

Non-Fiction:

• Fundamental rights in the Irish law and Constitution (2nd ed., Oceana Publications, 1968) ISBN 0-379-00075-X
• Studies in the civil judicature of the Roman Republic (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1976) ISBN 0-19-825337-0
• The Irish Constitution (1st ed., 1980)
• Belling the cats: Selected speeches and articles of John Kelly (Dublin, Moytura Press, 1992) ISBN 1-871305-08-X
• A Short History of Western Legal Theory (Oxford University Press, 1992) ISBN 0-19-876244-5