The Honourable Mr Justice Kinney was educated at Queen’s University in Belfast and graduated with a Law degree in 1983. After obtaining a Post Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Studies he was admitted to the Role of Solicitors in February 1985.
The Honourable Mr Justice Kinney practised as a solicitor from 1985 to 2007 becoming Managing Partner of Fitzsimons Kinney Mallon Solicitors in 1990. He was also a member of the Council of the Law Society of Northern Ireland from 1996 to 2007 and during this time a member of the Law Reform Advisory Committee of Northern Ireland and of the General Teaching Council of Northern Ireland.
In April 2007 The Honourable Mr Justice Kinney was appointed Chairman of the Industrial Tribunals and Fair Employment Tribunal. Five years later, in September 2012, he was appointed as a County Court Judge. He was the Assigned County Court Family Judge from February 2017 until September 2021. Prior to this appointment he sat in the Crown Court, Family and Civil courts as well as hearing appeals from the District Judges’ Court.
The Honourable Mr Justice Kinney was a Commissioner on the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission from June 2013 until December 2016, and was appointed as a Coroner in November 2016 to assist in dealing with legacy inquests.
From October 2021 The Honourable Mr Justice Kinney was sitting as an assigned Crown Court Judge at Laganside Courts Belfast.
His Majesty the King appointed His Honour Judge Patrick Kinney to the office of High Court Judge in Northern Ireland and he was sworn into office before Dame Siobhan Keegan, the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, on Friday 16 December 2022.
He was appointed to the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland by the The Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland from 1 March 2024.