John Burnell (died c.1492) was an Irish judge who held office as Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.
The Burnell family had been Lords of the Manor of Balgriffin, County Dublin since the fourteenth century: theyacquired the manor of Castleknock through marriage into the Tyrrell family, who held the feudal barony of Castleknock. The family had a strongtradition of judicial service; Robert Burnell, who wasprobably John's great- grandfather, and whomarried the Tyrrell heiress to Castleknock, was a Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland) 1388–1413, as was John's cousin Patrick Burnell(died 1491). Thefamily tradition of judicial servicewas continued by Henry Burnell (died 1614),who was Recorder of Dublin and a judge of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland).
John was made a Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland) for life in 1478. In 1482 he was appointed Deputy to the Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, Oliver FitzEustace.Elrington Ball explains that a Deputy was required because Oliver was considered to be mentally deficient, and was unable to speak orapparently understand what was said to him, so that the oath of officecould not be administered to him. Oliver was a natural son of the powerfulIrish nobleman Rowland FitzEustace, 1st Baron Portlester, who obtainedthe positionof Chief Baron forhis son and the right to name a Deputy Chief Baronfor himself. Burnell was superseded as Deputy in 1487. In 1491 he and Oliver were appointed joint Chief Barons, presumablydue to Portlester's influence, but Burnell seems to have died soonafterwards.