Richard Finglas (died 1574) was an Irish barrister and Law Officer of the sixteenth century.
He was a close relative, probably a nephew or grandson, of Patrick Finglas, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, who died in 1537.
[2] He sat on a number of Crown commissions, including one in 1559 for assessing the inhabitants of Dublin for taxation, and two for mustering the available troops in the Pale.
[4] As Queen's Serjeant, he earned high praise from the Irish Government for his devotion to duty: he was awarded a special annuity of £10 for his "labour and diligence" and his regular attendance before the Court of Castle Chamber (the Irish version of Star Chamber) and the Privy Council of Ireland; this seems to have been a special reward over and above the normal fees for his office.
[1] Despite his obvious legal ability, and the high opinion which the Irish Government had of his diligence, he never became a High Court judge: this probably reflected the low opinion which Queen Elizabeth I had of her Irish Law Officers, whom she generally refused to promote to the judiciary, and whom, when they died or retired, she replaced, if possible, with English lawyers.