Former President Mary Robinson welcomed by UCD Sutherland School of Law

Former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson with Dr. Andrew Jackson

The Sutherland School of Law was honored to welcome former Irish president, Mary Robinson recently to speak on the subject of climate change. Mrs Robinson, the first woman elected as President of Ireland, was previously the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and, in 2014, was appointed to oversee UN efforts to tackle climate change.

In conversation with Dr Andrew Jackson from the School of Law, Mrs Robinson discussed how those who wish to make a meaningful contribution to climate change, should make it a personal issue in their lives. Speaking to a large audience made up of law students, academics and practitioners, she expressed the opinion that politicians can be too short-sighted to tackle this critical issue and urged lawyers to take on a more meaningful role in compelling action to be taken. She suggested that the courts could provide the “necessary moon shot” to force a sweeping transformation of the Irish economy to help combat climate change.       

“All over the world court cases are being taken on climate change… I’m glad for that because [the court] is one way of cutting through something and forcing a situation."

Mrs Robinson, who lectured in UCD in the 1960s, is a strong believer in the value of education in the advancement of important global issues. She advocates that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals should form part of the curriculum at national and higher education. They include ending poverty, ending hunger, achieving gender equality, taking urgent action on climate change and ensuring responsible consumption and production. 

Prof. Suzanne Egan, Mrs. Mary Robinson and Prof. Imelda Maher, Dean of Law, UCD Sutherland School of Law

 Mrs. Robinson speaking with a guest on the night

Reunion of 1979, 1989, 1999 & 2009 Classes

Alumni from the BBLS class of 2009 included Sophie Kenny (left) and Susan Hyland (right)

One of the major events in the calendar of the School of Law is the Milestone Reunion which takes place annually in October.  It is an evening where the School welcomes back alumni to meet their classmates and reminisce about their days in UCD. This year, we were delighted to welcome back many of our alumni from the BCL classes of 1979, 1989, 1999 and 2009 and the BBLS classes of 1999 and 2009 (see a full gallery of photos (opens in a new window)here).  Alumni gathered in the Gardiner Atrium in Sutherland School of Law from 6pm for a drinks reception and the Dean, Professor Maher, gave a short speech at 6.30pm. The evening is for our alumni to re-establish connections with their classmates and catch up on their lives since graduation so, following Prof Maher's speech, the group broke up into separate classes for photos and speeches, returning afterwards to the Gardiner Atrium until 9pm.  Many alumni then continued their evening in the new University Club, nearby on campus.

Next year the Milestone Reunion will be for the BCL classes that graduated in 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010 and the BBLS/BBL classes of 2000 and 2010.  We’d be delighted to hear from any alumni from those classes who might be willing to help us contact their former classmates.  Please email (opens in a new window)law.events@ucd.ie or call 01 7164105 if you would like to get involved.

Olivia McCann, Judge Siofra O’Leary, Sinead Smith and Deborah Maguire from the class of 1989

Dr Maeve O’Rourke (BCL 2009) chatting with John O’Dowd and Professor Imelda Maher

The class of 1979 alumni included (from left) Risteard Crimmins, Diarmaid McGuinness SC and Mr Justice Donal O’Donnell

Simon O’Neill (BBLS 1999), Brian Connolly (BCL 1989) and Andrew Clarke (BCL 1989)

The Dean addresses alumni at the Milestone Reunion

The BBLS Class of 2009

The BCL Class of 1979

The BCL Class of 1989

The BCL Class of 1999

The BBLS Class of 1999

The BCL Class of 2009

Chief Justice delivers Walsh Lecture 2019

The Chief Justice delivering the Walsh Lecture 2019 in Sutherland School of Law

We were honoured to welcome Mr Justice Frank Clarke, Chief Justice, to Sutherland School of Law in early November to deliver the 2019 Walsh Lecture. The title of the Chief Justice’s lecture was "Words words words - Text in the Law" and in front of a large audience of distinguished guests, alumni, students, members of the judiciary and the wider legal profession, he delivered an insightful, erudite and extremely interesting lecture. He finished by taking a number of questions from the audience, including those from law students who were present in large numbers to hear the Chief Justice speak.

The Walsh lecture lecture honours the memory of the Hon Mr Justice Brian Walsh who was a judge of both the Irish Supreme Court and later, the European Court of Human Rights. He also held many prominent legal positions during his career, including member of the World Association of Judges, leader of the Irish delegation on the Anglo-Irish Law Enforcement Commission, President of the Irish Law Reform Commission and founding President of the Irish Society for European Law. We were delighted to welcome members of his family and the current UCD Law Walsh Scholar to the lecture. Axelle Voisin is studying for an LL.M. in International Commercial Law and comes to UCD as a graduate from the University of Angers and the University of Picardy Jules Vernes, Amiens.

The UCD School of Law Walsh Scholar, Axelle Voisin, with the family of the late Mr Justice Brian Walsh

Pictured with the Chief Justice are his wife Dr Jak Hayden and son, Ben Clarke

Ms Justice Gerdy Jurgens, of the Supreme Administrative Court of The Netherlands with Patrick Conboy

Mr Harry Whelehan SC was among the guests attending the lecture

Mr Declan McCourt, Chair of the School of Law Development Council

Dr Franck Gloglo, recently appointed McCann FitzGerald Assistant Professor in Sutherland School of Law

Medals for Top Students at 43^rd Bank of Ireland Awards

Medal winning students at the 43^rd Bank of Ireland Awards

We were honoured to welcome Mr Justice Richard Humphreys to Sutherland School of Law in November to present the 43^rd Bank of Ireland Awards to our top students for the academic year 2018 – 2019.  Justice Humphreys, a former medal winner during his time in UCD, gave an inspirational speech to the students, speaking about the diverse careers and opportunities that are open to them in the future. He  also complimented the parents present for their support of the students and congratulated the Associate Dean, Paul Ward on his commitment to the organisation of these awards for the School. In her speech, Professor Imelda Maher, Dean of Law, thanked Bank of Ireland for their continued support of the awards. 

Mr Justice Richard Humphreys delivered an inspiring address to students 

The Bank of Ireland Medal Winners for 2018 – 2019 were as follows:

Tort Essay: Emily Cahill (gold), Síofra Brady (Silver), Melvina Stiebitz (Bronze)

Stage II: Rory Clarke (Gold), Maryia Amelyanchuk and Louis Gribbin Bourke (joint Silver) (Maryia is currently on Erasmus and was unable to attend)

Stage III: Emma Haddigan (Gold), Sean Dillon (Silver), Sinead Britchfield, Sinead Durcan, Hannah Garvey, Stephen Lahert (joint Bronze)               

Stage IV: Joshua Kieran-Glennon (Gold), Lucy Hassett (Silver), Ciara Denihan, Margaret-Ann Gallagher, Jonathan Guy and Niamh Tynan (joint Bronze) (Ciara and Margaret-Ann were both overseas and unable to attend).

Medal-winner Joshua Kieran-Lennon is congratulated by his grandmother

Medal-winner Síofra Brady with her parents and Prof Imelda Maher, Dean of Law (second from right)

Medal-winner Lucy Hassett with Associate Dean, Paul Ward

Medal-winner, Hannah Garvey with her parents

Grace Oladipo and Hannah Garvey win Arthur Cox Awards

Rob Cain, partner in Arthur Cox, presents Grace Oladipo with the Arthur Cox Contribution to Student Life Award (BCL).

Sutherland School of Law was delighted to partner with Arthur Cox recently to honour students who have made a significant contribution to university life, over and above any academic achievement. The ‘Contribution to Student Life Awards’ are open to BCL and Business and Law students when they are in third year, with a prize being awarded for each programme. We congratulate Grace Oladipo and Hannah Garvey, both now in final year, who were awarded, the 2018/2019 BCL and Business and Law prizes, respectively.

The awards were judged by Rob Cain, partner in Arthur Cox, Professor Jason Last, UCD Dean of Students and Associate Dean of Law, Paul Ward.  Rob Cain who announced the winners, commended the wonderful contribution made by all finalists which also included Andrea Whelton, Laura Hogan, Manal Mukhtar, Caoimhe Gethings and Kathleen Connolly.  He commented that all finalists demonstrated outstanding achievements and a strong commitment to making a contribution to the wider community.

Grace Oladipo’s achievements have included her work as an Access Leader, an International Students’ Campaign Co-ordinator and a Students’ Union Class Representative. Grace was responsible for setting up the UCD Gospel Choir which has performed at many events in UCD since its foundation.  Grace has also set up a non-profit organisation focussed on providing long-term assistance by supplying care packs to the homeless.  

Hannah Garvey’s contribution to university life whilst in UCD has been outstanding also. She has been a peer mentor, an active member of three student societies, has represented UCD at a Solicitors Case writing Competition and a Student Managed Fund Competition. She is heavily involved with the UCD hockey team, has volunteered overseas and worked as a sports coach in a university in Canada. She has been awarded a UDC Advantage Award for engagement in sports, academia and volunteering within the university.

The awards were developed by Arthur Cox to encourage students to avail of the opportunities that university offers them. The criteria for awarding are described as those students who can demonstrate that they are ‘catalysts for change, who strive to improve their community, to maximise their own potential, and to contribute to all aspects of university life in a positive and meaningful way’. Sutherland School of Law congratulates both worthy winners on their significant achievements.

Business and Law Programme Manager, Margaret Maher with Associate Dean, Paul Ward and BCL Programme Manager, Maureen Reynolds

Professor Jason Last, UCD Dean of Students speaking at the Awards.

Laura Hogan, former Auditor of LawSoc was one of the finalists

Finalist Caoimhe Gethings with family and friends at the Awards

Andrea Whelton, pictured with her parents, was also a finalist at the Awards

Exploring Direct Provision

 (opens in a new window)Dr Liam Thornton has launched his new project (opens in a new window)Exploring Direct Provision. ‘Direct provision’ is shorthand for the range of supports and rights asylum seekers are supposed to be entitled to  in Ireland. Now entering its twentieth year, the much critiqued system of direct provision continues to provoke controversy in Ireland. Exploring Direct Provision makes available for the first time, over twenty years of documentation obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Given that the system of direct provision did not have any statutory basis until 2018, these documents provide a fascinating insight into the inner workings of Government and government departments who established the system of direct provision. The (opens in a new window)Direct Provision Files provide asylum seekers, researchers, lawyers, activists, NGOs, policy makers, parliamentarians, Government, and civil servants with a rich resource to examine how the system of direct provision emerged and developed over a twenty-year period.

Over 2,000 pages of documentation were scanned for this project by project assistant (opens in a new window)Róisín Dunbar, from 350 different files. These were organised into (opens in a new window)79 core filesets (as of 01 November 2019) by Dr Thornton. Liam collated this information, and has provided a database with (opens in a new window)a brief narrative to enable persons with an interest in the system of direct provision to understand the underlying rationale for its introduction, and explore its continued operation in Ireland. Website design, development and communication design expertise was provided by (opens in a new window)Danielle Curtis.

Liam was awarded UCD Seed Funding for (opens in a new window)Exploring Direct Provision, which ensures the project can continue, with regular updates through December 2020. You can follow the progress of this project on Twitter: (opens in a new window)@ExploringDP. As well as making available these documents, Liam will regularly provide brief blog posts focusing on particular aspects of the system of direct provision. You can read more about the rationale for this project (opens in a new window)here.

Comórtas Óráide 2019

An Cumann Gaelach UCD and UCD St. Vincent de Paul have jointly organised a new Irish language speech competition and the Arthur Cox Moot Court of the UCD School of Law played host to the two semi-finals.  

The competition and speeches are though Irish and UCD SVP chose the speech topics based on their social justice policies. Speakers aim to discuss the topics through explaining the problems associated with it, it’s causes, and the possible solutions. Therefore, the subjects would not be debated, but discussed.

This allows participants to engage with the topic without having to conform with debating structures and styles.

The Final of the Comórtas Óráide 2019 was held in the Fitzgerald Chamber of the UCD Student Centre on Thursday the 10th of October at 7.30 pm

-----

D'eagraigh An Cumann Gaelach agus An Cumann Naomh Uinseann de Pól UCD comórtas óráidíochta nua trí Ghaeilge le chéile agus is sa Bheagchúirt i Scoil an Dlí UCD a bhí na babhtaí leathcheannais.

Tá an comórtas agus na hóráidí trí Ghaeilge agus roghnaigh UCD SVP ábhair na gcainteanna bunaithe ar a bpolasaithe cóir shóisialta. Is í aidhm na gcainteoirí ná na hábhair a phlé trína fadhbanna a bhaineann leo a mhíniú, a gcúiseanna, agus na réitigh is féidir a bhaint amach. 

Mar sin, ní bheadh díospóireacht ar na hábhair i gceist ach pléitear iad. Ligeann sé sin na rannpháirtithe chur le plé an ábhair gan a bheith ag cloí le struchtúir nó stíl díospóireachta. 

Ruth Sherlock

Judges

Former Labour Court Chair, Kevin Duffy, receives Honorary Doctorate

Dr Kevin Duffy (centre) with (l to r) Prof Imelda Maher, Mr Tony Kerr SC, Prof Andrew Deeks and Prof Colin Scott 

We warmly congratulate Dr Kevin Duffy on receipt of his honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws.  Mr. Anthony Kerr SC, lecturer in UCD Sutherland School of Law delivered the insightful citation below at a recent conferring ceremony in the O’Reilly Hall. In front of an audience of graduating students, their families and UCD faculty, he summarised the many achievements and extraordinary work that Dr Duffy has undertaken over a lengthy career in the area of work relations in Ireland.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN HONORARY CONFERRING Tuesday, 3 September 2019 at 5.30 pm

CITATION DELIVERED BY ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ANTHONY KERR, UCD Sutherland School of Law on 3 September 2019, on the occasion of the conferring of the Degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa on KEVIN DUFFY.

President, Graduates, Colleagues, Honoured Guests                                                                                                           

I am humbled to have been asked to deliver the citation today for the conferring of the Degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, on Kevin Duffy because, without fear of contradiction, I can say that he has done Ireland extraordinary service.

I have known, or known of Kevin Duffy for just over forty years, specifically since March 1979.

The 1970's and the 1980's were periods of unprecedented industrial unrest; strikes were common- place and essential public services were regularly disrupted. Many employers resorted to the courts to secure orders restraining strikes and picketing, injunctions which were frequently granted on a ex parte basis. On the 27th March 1979, however, the Irish Times reported that Mr. Justice McWilliam, the senior Chancery judge in the High Court, had discharged an interim injunction against the General Secretary and members of the Ancient Guild of Incorporated Brick and Stonelayers- a trade union which could trace its origins back to 1670- restraining them from conspiring together to cause a withdrawal of labour from a building site at Sydenham Road, Ballsbridge.

The General Secretary of the Ancient Guild, and principal defendant in these procedings was Kevin Duffy.

Kevin was born and raised in Patrick Street in the Liberties. He was the second of three boys. Their father was a bricklayer, as were their grandfather and numerous uncles. Kevin attended the local Christian Brothers primary school in Francis Street. Unlike his elder brother Brendan, who went on to secondary school and a distinguished career in the Civil Service, Kevin went to the Technical School in Clogher Road in Crumlin which he left at the age of fifteen to follow his father into the building trade. Kevin became a member of the Ancient Guild and quickly became active within the trade union. In 1973 he was appointed Assistant General Secretary and then General Secretary in 1978.

His talent was quickly recognised within the broader trade union movement and, in 1988, Kevin was appointed Assistant General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Kevin was responsible for the industrial relations division of Congress and part of his brief was to represent the interests of the trade union movement in negotiations with the then Department of Labour on reform of the law on trade disputes and industrial relations generally. These negotiations ultimately crystalised in the Industrial Relations Act 1990. This Act was “incredibly significant” because it was the first piece of statute law giving effect to the agreed vision of the new social partnership model. What the Act sought to do was to achieve a greater degree of responsibility by trade unions in pursuing industrial action whilst providing additional protection for unions which acted with that sense of responsibility.

During his time with Congress, Kevin sat on the Civil Service Arbitration Board and the Bar of Ireland's Disciplinary Tribunal. He was also responsible,together with Turlough O'Sullivan of IBEC,for resolving many challenging and complex disputes.

In 1997, Kevin was appointed Deputy Chair of the Labour Court. The Court had been established in 1946, charged with the task of promoting harmonious industrial relations. In 1974 and 1977, the Court was given responsibilty for adjudicating on equal pay and employment equality disputes, involving legal issues deriving from European law. This trend accelerated in 1997 and, given the increasing importance of legal argument and the regular appearance of lawyers before the Court, Kevin applied to the Honorable Society of King's Inns to become a barrister. Kevin was called to the Bar in 2003. For someone who had no formal education since the age of fifteen,this was an incredible achievement.

Kevin was appointed Chairman of the Labour Court in December 2003. During his tenure, the Court issued many decisions of profound significance to employment lawyers. He was not afraid of seeking the assistance of the Court of Justice in Luxembourg, often resulting in rulings much cited in subsequent decisions of that court, in particular the 2008 IMPACT decision under the Fixed Term Work Directive.

Kevin eventually retired from the Court in 2016, having overseen the transformation of its role under the Workplace Relations Act 2015, but did not retire from public service. He was chosen by the Government to chair both the Commission examining Water Charges and the Public Service Pay Commission. He continues to make a valuable contribution to society providing advice and assistance through weekly clinics for the Free Legal Advice Centre and lecturing on employment law at the Academy of European Law in Trier.

 UCD are delighted today to acknowledge Kevin's outstanding career and his important contributions to Irish society.

_____________________________________________________________________

Praehonorabilis Praeses, totaque Universitas,

Praesento vobis hunc meum filium, quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina habilem et idoneum esse qui admittatur, honoris causa, ad Gradum Doctoratus in utroque Jure, tam civili quam Canonico; idque tibi fide mea testor ac spondeo, totique Academiae.

 ___________________________________________________________________

UCD and Mason Hayes & Curran join forces to launch UCD Sutherland Opportunity supported by Mason Hayes & Curran for greater diversity in the legal profession

A new UCD law student support initiative, designed to encourage greater diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, was launched today (6^th September 2019) by UCD Sutherland School of Law and law firm (opens in a new window)Mason Hayes & Curran. UCD Sutherland Opportunity supported by (opens in a new window)Mason Hayes & Curran is a suite of resources for students from under-represented groups, and communities with typically low progression rates to third level education, in pursuing a successful career in and with law.

Starting with early intervention programmes at primary school level, the supports are holistic and tailored to each student, providing scholarships, travel bursaries, post-graduate opportunities, alumni mentoring, law firm internships and early career support.   Its innovation lies in its support and guidance before and after the four year undergraduate programmes at UCD Sutherland School of Law.  This recognises that the core student experience will be more impactful and effective if underpinned by critical bridges and transitions in the pre- and post- undergraduate phases.

Speaking at the launch, Chair of (opens in a new window)Mason Hayes & Curran, (opens in a new window)Kevin Hoy, remarked, “Ireland is the first country in the world where women constitute more than 50% of the solicitors’ profession, but we have much to do for our legal professions to be truly representative on a socio economic basis.  A modern society needs diversity in the law and UCD Sutherland Opportunity supported by (opens in a new window)Mason Hayes & Curran will help achieve that goal.  We in (opens in a new window)Mason Hayes & Curran hope that our contribution will enable students from modest financial backgrounds today to become the extraordinary lawyers of tomorrow.”

 “UCD Sutherland School of Law is now among the top 50 law schools globally and we want to ensure that students from marginalised sections of our society can also participate and benefit from a degree in law at UCD”, commented Professor Imelda Maher, UCD Dean of Law.  ‘The number of UCD law students from under-represented groups has doubled in two years (27 students in 2016 to 59 in 2018) and we can now accelerate that activity through this programme.  We’re privileged to have the support of Mason Hayes & Curran and their visionary leadership on this project, and also for the partnership of UCD Access & Lifelong Learning.’

UCD Sutherland School of Law is the leading centre for legal education and research in Ireland, combining engaging undergraduate and graduate level courses, internationally-recognised research, and world-class educational facilities.

Pictured at the launch of UCD Sutherland Opportunity supported by Mason Hayes & Curran in UCD were, from left to right: Kevin Hoy, Chair, Mason Hayes & Curran, Professor Imelda Maher UCD Dean of Law, Professor Andrew J Deeks, President of UCD and Judith Riordan, Partner, Mason Hayes & Curran.

PhD students from around the world attend 2019 Atlas Agora in UCD

UCD Sutherland School of Law was honoured to host the Association of Transnational Law Schools (ATLAS) Agora in June 2019.  The two-week event was organised by Dr Richard Collins and co-ordinated by UCD PhD student, Aphrodite Papachristodoulou. UCD joined the ATLAS network in 2016 and partner institutions currently include the National University of Singapore, Osgoode Hall Law School (Canada), University of Montreal (Canada), Erasmus School of Law, Rotterdam (Netherlands), Bar Ilan University (Israel) and Queen Mary University of London (UK). ATLAS was formed in 2006 with the mission of bringing together talented doctoral students in the field of transnational law (broadly defined).  The annual Agora consists of a programme of dissertation workshops, allowing students to share and receive peer and expert feedback on their research, masterclasses, and a series of educational visits and social events. The Agora also provides an opportunity for an annual meeting of the partner universities and a faculty conference showcasing current research in progress.

Prof. Imelda Maher presenting a Masterclass

This year’s Dissertation Workshops included ‘Family law, Gender, Domestic Abuse’, Chaired by Dr Mark Coen, ‘Arbitration, Investment, Law, Law and Economics’,  Chaired by Professor Joe McMahon, ‘Financial Markets, Regulation, and EU Tax Law’ Chaired by Ms Emer Hunt and Criminal law & Criminology Prisoners’. The programme also included two Methodology Workshops: ‘Socio-Legal Research’ presented by Professor Eoin Carolan and ‘Comparative Law / Methods’ by Dr Marie Luce Paris.

Dr. Richard Collins presenting a masterclass

Masterclasses included ‘Managing the Research Process’ (Professor Kalpana Shankar),‘Grant Applications & Proposals’ (Ms Suzanne D’Arcy),  ‘Publishing your thesis’ (Professor Aidan Moran),  ‘Regulation / Economics and Law’ (Professor Colin Scott), ‘Public International Law’ (Dr Richard Collins), ‘EU Law and Regulation’ (Professor Imelda Maher), ‘Litigation & Arbitration’, (Mr Justice Donal O’Donnell),  and ‘Big Data issues and he right to be forgotten’ (Michael M. Collins SC).

ATLAS students with Dr.Richard Collins and Mr. Justice Donal O'Donnell

The day-long faculty conference included contributions from Professor Craig Scott (Osgoode) and Dr Liam Thornton (UCD), speaking on the subject of Human Rights. Professor Michel Morin (Montreal) and Dr Richard Collins (UCD) spoke on Legal Histories. And on the subject of ‘Legal Pluralism and Regime Confrontation’ there were contributions by Derek McKee (Montreal) and Ori Arronson (Bar Ilan). The final topic of ‘New Challenges and Trends’ saw presentations from UCD’s Dr Suzanne Egan and Professor Klaus Heine (Rotterdam).

In addition to the extensive academic programme, the students visited the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Department of Foreign Affairs (including a tour of Iveagh House), the EPIC the Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin, the Guinness Storehouse and took walking and boat tours around Dublin.

The following feedback was received from students who attended the ATLAS Agora in Dublin in June 2019.

"Taking part in ATLAS Agora 2019 at Sutherland School of Law of UCD is one of the best decisions I have ever made during my PhD life. It is an unforgettable experience to discuss my research and share my life as a doctoral student with senior and young fellow researchers coming from all over the world with a glass of authentic Irish Guinness at hand. The summer school provides me with more than insightful feedback on my research. It also brings a group of new friends to my life, a chance to know a country with a long history, and more courage and curiosity to explore the world."

Du Du - Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam 

"The Agora 2019 (Atlas Forum) in Dublin was an incredibly enriching experience. The masterclasses and workshops gave us practical advices and the presenters were all very invested in this event. The Forum also allowed us to share our work with colleagues from all over the world and meet really interesting people. To be allowed to take part in this kind of event truly helps make sense of why we are investing so much time into our work and is so motivating. The whole organization was beyond all expectations and allowed for a very pleasant experience. Thank you, UCD !"

Kenza Sassi - University of Montreal 

" The lecturers were very impressive and varied (psychologist, judge etc.), and expressed interest to discuss and focus on the participants' questions. I took something from almost every lesson: theoretical ideas, tips for the doctoral work or ways of teaching. I enjoyed a lot the common activities that you had organized outside the campus, both on the Irish culture, music, history and the visits in the parliament and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' legal department. I think ATLAS program was a good opportunity to be introduced with ideas and way of thinking of other countries' PhD students, and of course meeting them personally. Finally, the friendly and open atmosphere in the program certainly contribute to the enjoyable experience." 

Ofir Stegmann - Bar-Ilan University, Israel

ATLAS students after the viking boat tour of Dublin

ATLAS students getting a tour of NUI Merrion Sq

ATLAS students at the EPIC the Irish Emigration Museum

ATLAS students enjoying an evening off in Dublin city centre. 

UCD Centre for Constitutional Studies Public Law Conference 2019

The UCD Centre for Constitutional Studies hosted its annual conference in May 2019 in Sutherland School of Law.  The extensive programme on the theme of Public Law included four major plenaries addressing: Public Law in the new Supreme Court; The Impact of EU law on Irish Public Law; Developments in Regulatory Law and Developments in Judicial Review and Administrative Law.  

Speaker Brian Foley BL

In addition to many leading experts on Public Law from academia, law firms and the law library, the Centre was greatly honoured to welcome distinguished members of the judiciary to chair the plenaries.  They included Mr Justice Peter Charleton, Ms. Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan and Mr. Justice Seamus Noonan.

Speaker Ailbhe O'Neill BL

Public Law practitioners who spoke at the conference included Helen Kelly and Aoiffe Moran of Matheson Solicitors and Lisa Joyce from  Mason Hayes & Curran. From the Law Library, there were contributions from Mícheál P O’Higgins SC, Niamh Hyland SC, Siobhan Stack SC, Paul Gallagher SC, Michael Collins SC, Rossa Fanning SC, Brian Foley BL and Bernadette Quigley BL.  The Child and Family Law Panel saw presentations from specialists, Geoffrey Shannon and Sarah Fennell BL. The UCD faculty of Law was also well represented at the conference.  Joining the Dean of Law, Professor Imelda Maher and the Chair of the Centre for Constitutional Studies, Professor Eoin Carolan, were Dr Kevin Costello, Professor Suzanne Kingston, Dr Sarah Fulham-McQuillan, James McDermott BL and John O’Dowd. UCD was also delighted to welcome Dr Ailbhe O’Neill, Professor Mary Rogan and Sophie van der Valk from TCD.

Prof. Imelda Maher Dean of the Sutherland School of Law chaired the Q&A session 

The Conference of the UCD Centre for Constitutional studies is now in its second year and will continue to be an annual event in the Centre’s calendar, alongside the seminar ‘Constitutional Law: An Update’ which traditionally takes place earlier in the year.  Dates for next year’s events will be announced in the Autumn of 2019.  Interested parties can find out more by joining the (opens in a new window)Sutherland School of Law mailing list here.

School of Law hosts a major meeting of the European Law Institute

UCD Sutherland School of Law was delighted to host a major event for the Irish Hub of the European Law Institute (ELI).  A distinguished panel of speakers addressed the subject of ‘New Directions for the Irish Legal System after Brexit?'.  This included highly engaging contributions from the Former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Justice John Thomas (photographed above), and Mr Justice William McKechnie of the Supreme Court of Ireland.  The panel was chaired by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan who is a Member of the Council of the ELI and he was joined by Professor Denis Phillipe of the University of Louvain who was one of the institute's founding members. The event attracted an audience of over one hundred and fifty guests which was made up of members of the judiciary, the law library, law society, law firms and legal academics

Professor Imelda Maher, Dean of the School of Law who is the Sutherland Full Professor of European Law, welcomed the distinguished panel and guests and acknowledged that the School of Law was honoured to host this important event for the European Law Institute.   Following the excellent contributions from the panel on the subject, a lively questions and answers session followed with many members of the audience keen to discuss this highly topical subject matter.   The evening concluded with a drinks reception hosted by Sutherland School of Law.

The European Law Institute was founded in June 2011 as an entirely independent organisation with the aim of improving the quality of European law.  The ELI seeks to initiate, conduct and facilitate research, to make recommendations, and to provide practical guidance in the field of European legal development.   Those seeking to become members of the Irish Hub of the ELI can find out more on the website (opens in a new window)www.europeanlawinstitute.eu or by emailing (opens in a new window)secretariat@europeanlawinstitute.eu 

 Mr Justice William McKechnie speaking at the ELI Seminar

A large audience attendied the ELI meeting hosted by the Sutherland School of Law

Professor Imelda Maher in conversation with Mr Justice John Edwards of the Court of Appeal

Mr Justice David Barniville in conversation at the reception

Mr. Justice Paul Gilligan chaired the meeting

Professor Denis Philippe, one of the founder members of the ELI

Mr. Justice McKechnie, Professor Maher, Professor Philippe, Mr. Justice Gilligan and Lord Justice John Thomas

Dr Liam Thornton before Oireachtas Committee

(opens in a new window)Dr Liam Thornton, assistant professor in law, UCD Sutherland School of Law provided evidence to the (opens in a new window)Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality on the system of direct provision recently. Liam’s evidence, based on (opens in a new window)his legal analysis, noted that the system of direct provision remains a significant violation of fundamental human rights for international protection applicants across a range of different legal rights norms: privacy, right to family life, right to work and a right to an adequate standard of living. You can access Liam’s opening statement to the Oireachtas Committee (opens in a new window)here, his full submission (opens in a new window)here, and watch back the proceedings (opens in a new window)here (from minute ’55).

In UCD, Liam teaches a range of law modules, and in Semester II of 2019/2020 will offer a new law module to stage three law students, LAW37600 Migration Law. Details on this course are available (opens in a new window)here.

Professor Stephen Calkins to receive Achievement Award

Former adjunct professor and incoming UCD Sutherland fellow, (opens in a new window)Professor Stephen Calkins will receive the (opens in a new window)American Antitrust Institute 2019 Achievement Award for His Outstanding Contributions to Antitrust.   The AAI Alfred E. Kahn Award for Antitrust Achievement, first presented in 2000, honours outstanding contributions to the field of antitrust.  The award recognises Professor Calkins’ deep knowledge and experience and his significant contributions across legal scholarship and nonpartisan policy analysis which make him a leader in the field of antitrust. His career concerned fighting for competition and consumers and teaching the next generation of progressive antitrust advocates.  Professor Calkins is Professor of Law at Wayne State University, a former member of the Competition Authority of Ireland and later of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and was previously general counsel of the US Federal Trade Commission.

Professional Diploma in Data Protection and Governance
(New)

UCD Sutherland School of Law is delighted to announce the introduction of a Diploma in Data Protection and Governance commencing September 2019. The Diploma is designed to supply training for Data Protection Officers and others involved in the compliance role in organisations.  It will also be of relevance to any legal practitioners involved in this area.

The Diploma has been designed to meet the training needs that have developed in Ireland since the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force in 2018.  GDPR has meant that significant new data protection obligations have been imposed on Irish organisations. As a result, a wide range of organisations must now appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) with an appropriate level of expertise in data protection law and practice.  Organisations not required to appoint DPOs are still obliged to carry out a range of new tasks such as Data Protection Impact Assessments and will benefit from training their staff in this area. This Diploma is designed to meet the training needs of Data Protection Officers and others involved in the compliance role in organisations and the legal community involved in this area.

The programme will feature lectures from staff of the College of Social Sciences and Law and will be co-ordinated by Dr TJ McIntyre.

Graduates of this programme will enhance their competence by adding relevant knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to Data Protection and Governance. The programme will use teaching, learning and assessment approaches such as small group teaching, academic writing and summative examination assessments.

The programme will be delivered through two hour lectures over twelve weeks commencing in September 2019. The lectures will take place in the UCD Sutherland School of Law.

Further information can be obtained by emailing (opens in a new window)lawdiplomas@ucd.ie or calling 7164114.

Peter Sutherland Memorial Day 

Keynote speaker Ambassador William L. Swing, UCD President Professor Andrew Deeks and Dean of Law, Professor Imelda Maher

On Friday 29^th March, 2019 the UCD Sutherland School of Law hosted a memorial event for Peter Sutherland. Peter was one of UCD's most distinguished alumni on both a national and international stage. Together with Peter's family, friends, former classmates and colleagues, UCD School of Law gathered to pay tribute to this accomplished man. Lauded as a humanitarian and champion of migrants, Peter built a global reputation over a lifetime of achievements in law, business and international affairs.

Professor Imelda Maher Dean of Law, Keynote Speaker Ambassador William L. Swing and UCD President Professor Andrew Deeks with the Sutherland Family

Ambassador William L. Swing – a former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General who served two terms as Director General of the International Organization for Migration - was the keynote speaker on the day. Mr. Swing highlighted Peters contribution to migration and his creation of the Global Forum on Migration and Development. (See below a video recording of the Ambassador's speech).

Mr. Swing stated - “The significance of which is that it was the first time ever that the governments of the world came together to look at solutions on how better to manage migration responsibly and humanely. This had never happened before. Peter made this happen.”

“The Global Forum was the precursor to everything that has followed since in the field of migration. [Peter] helped to foster an environment where the member states of the UN could come together in a declaration that called for migration to be included in the post 2015 agenda… in contrast to the stark failure of the Millennium development goals from 2000.”

Mr. Swing also mentioned how Peter was passionate in the fight against fake news - specifically in relation to migrants and the threats they pose to the countries they find themselves in.

“He didn’t make himself popular with this outspoken condemnation of anti-migrant sentiment, but Peter was never concerned about being popular but rather by doing the right thing,” he said.

“The Peter Sutherland I knew and admired was a committed and engaged humanitarian… and you don’t always think of CEOs and people in the business world as being humanitarians… [but] people listened to Peter because he was a great communicator, a masterful communicator.”

Erasmus students Mss. Luicile Nasiff and Mr. Daire Cassidy

Peter Sutherland is also well known for having founded the Erasmus programme and it was fitting on the day to have 2 Erasmus students, Miss. Lucile Nassif and Mr. Daire Cassidy speak about their wonderful experiences while taking part in the Erasmus programme in UCD.

Later in the day, a panel discussion took place in the A&L Goodbody theatre, involving representatives from Peter's personal, political and business life. The discussion was chaired by Mr Declan McCourt, Chairman of the UCD Law Development Council with Dr Catherine Day, former Secretary-General of the European Commission, Mr Gregory Maniatis, Director of the Open Society International Migration Initiative, Judge Garrett Sheehan, retired Judge of the Court of Appeal and Mr Rory Godson, CEO Powerscourt Group, and Chair of The Ireland Funds Great Britain.

Panel discussion taking place on the day chaired by Mr. Declan McCourt

The conclusion of the panel saw Professor Imelda Maher present the family with Peter's student record card from his time as a student in UCD.  It was clear from the stories and anecdotes told on the day that Peter left a lasting impression with everyone he met. His lasting legacy, the superb Sutherland School of Law building is indeed a fitting tribute to the highly distinguished UCD law alumnus, Dr Peter Sutherland.  

Professor Imelda Maher, Dean of Law presenting a gift to Mrs. Sutherland

UCD Choral Scholars performing on the day.

Mr Mark Barr, Arthur Cox, UCD President Andrew Deeks and Ms. Marie O'Connor, Chair of the UCD Governing Authority enjoying the evening reception. 

Keynote speach by Ambassador William L. Swing

Launch of the UCD SLS Law Journal 2019

Congratulations to the editors, Daniel Goode and Fionn Henderson, their team and all the contributors on the successful launch of the UCD SLS Law Journal 2019.  The journal was launched by adjunct professor, Michael Collins SC.

Law students visit Brussels for EU Field Trip 2019

During the study break earlier this semester, a group of Masters students from Sutherland School of Law together with students from the School of Politics and International Relations, took part in a field trip to explore the world of EU Politics.  This is the fourth such field trip which was initiated by Professor Imelda Maher and Dr Aidan Regan with the aim of enabling our students to build an international career.

Students engaged with national and international policymakers and enhanced their knowledge and experience of how the European Union works.  As part of the trip, the students got an opportunity to meet with EU Commissioner, Phil Hogan, MEP Mairead McGuinness and Emily O'Reilly of the EU Ombudsman office.

The Masters students who attended were from the European Public Affairs and Law, European Governance, European Politics and Policy, and Political Economy and Public Policy programmes

The trip included talks from UCD alumni working in Brussels, NGOs and private companies, meetings with European Parliamentarians, European Commissioners, and a visit to the European Investment Bank. Students also attended an alumni reception with the Irish ambassador and the annual Saint Patrick’s Day reception in the European Parliament.

A gallery of images from the UCD Alumni Reception in Brussels can be found on their (opens in a new window)Facebook page.

 EU Commisioner Phil Hogan welcomes students and staff from UCD

The UCD EU Field Trip to Brussels 2019

Students meet with Irish MEP Mairead McGuinness

UCD Ad Astra Fellows

UCD Sutherland School of Law is looking for high potential early stage academics to nominate as candidates for the UCD Ad Astra Fellows programme.  These appointments will be made at Lecturer/Assistant Professor grade.  UCD will make approximately 65 appointments, across all disciplines, this year (with more posts becoming available in following years).  The initial term will be five years with the possibility of permanency after a four-year review.  Ad Astra Fellows will have a reduced teaching load for up to three years and Appointees will receive research support for the first five years, which will normally consist of a PhD student scholarship and a budget for research costs of €5000 per annum.  Candidates interested in applying should contact the Dean of Law, Professor Imelda Maher (opens in a new window)deanoflaw@ucd.ie

London Study Trip sees law students visit top law firms and ‘the Old Bailey’

Our distinguished alumnus Vincent Keaveny, welcomes Sutherland School of Law students to ‘the Old Bailey’

During the March study break this year, a large group of UCD Sutherland School of Law undergraduate students spent five busy days visiting top law firms in London.  This is an annual trip, organised jointly with the UCD Career Development Centre and the School of Law. As with previous years, they students had a very packed schedule for their time in London!  UCD is very grateful to our law alumni in the firms who extended an invitation to current students and took the time to give them a taster of what it is like to work in a leading law firm in the UK. Students took part in exercises such as negotiating skills, offering them unrivalled opportunities to get an insight into what it is like to work in legal practice in London.  

In 2019, the following top London law firms welcomed our students:

Slaughter and May, Norton Rose Fulbright, Latham & Watkins, Pinsent Masons, Jones Day, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills

The group was joined by Brian Hutchinson and Dean, Professor Imelda Maher from the Sutherland School of Law plus members of the UCD Career Development Centre.  The undoubted highlight of this year’s trip was a visit by the students to the Central Criminal Court – “The Old Bailey’. This visit was kindly was hosted by our alumnus Vincent Keaveny who is a partner at international law firm, DLA Piper LLP, and has had a distinguished career advising banks and companies throughout the UK and Europe on banking, finance and capital markets matters. He was one of the City of London's 25 Alderman in 2013 and was recently elected as one of two City of London Sheriffs for 2018-2019, a title dating back to the 14th century. He was awarded the UCD Law Alumni of the Year Award in 2018.   

UCD Sutherland School of Law is grateful to Vincent Keaveny and all of our UCD alumni who made this trip a success for our students.

Students taking part in a negotiating workshop in Slaughter and May

Students outside the offices of Norton Rose Fulbright

A workshop at Norton Rose Fulbright

Former President Mary Robinson welcomed by Sutherland School of Law

The Sutherland School of Law was honoured to welcome former Irish president, Mary Robinson recently to speak on the subject of climate change. Mrs Robinson was the first woman elected as President of Ireland, was previously the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and, in 2014, was appointed to oversee UN efforts to tackle climate change.

In conversation with Dr Andrew Jackson from the School of Law, Mrs Robinson discussed how those who wish to make a meaningful contribution to climate change, should make it a personal issue in their lives. Speaking to a large audience made up of law students, academics and practitioners, she expressed the opinion that politicians can be too short-sighted to tackle this critical issue and urged lawyers to take on a more meaningful role in compelling action to be taken. She suggested that the courts could provide the “necessary moon shot” to force a sweeping transformation of the Irish economy to help combat climate change.       

“All over the world court cases are being taken on climate change… I’m glad for that because [the court] is one way of cutting through something and forcing a situation.

Mrs Robinson, who lectured in UCD in the 1960s is a strong believer in the value of education in the advancement of important global issues. She advocates that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals should form part of the curriculum at national and higher education. They include ending poverty, ending hunger, achieving gender equality, taking urgent action on climate change and ensuring responsible consumption and production. 

Former Preseident Mary Robinson and Dr. Andrew Jackson

Prof. Suzanne Egan, Former President Mary Robinson and Prof. Imelda Maher, Dean of Law

"Managing Partners' Award" for Partnership with A&L Goodbody

At the recent ‘Managing Partners’ Forum Awards’ in London, UCD Sutherland School of Law was honoured to win a joint award with UCD Smurfit and A&L Goodbody. The award was for ‘Best collaboration with external specialists’ and was in recognition of the ‘Business of Law’ Masters which was co-developed between UCD and A&L Goodbody. The judges were impressed with the successful partnership between a business school, a law school and a law firm and it was deemed to be a best in kind cooperation between industry and academia.

Professor Imelda Maher, Dean of Law is pictured centre with the team from A&L Goodbody. Host Lucy Porter is pictured left, and Jennifer Miller, from sponsor Vuture on the right.

The development of the Masters programme and its delivery required true joint design and execution. Outcomes and performance arising from the programme are salient. The judges felt that the partnership was likely to have longevity and expand into new opportunities. They liked that others could learn from and replicate this endeavour.  Altogether, the ALG Masters was deemed to result from a remarkable enduring cooperation to strengthen the profession.

The winners of the 17th Annual Managing Partners' Forum Awards were announced at a gala dinner and ceremony at the London Marriott, hosted by stand-up comedian and comedy writer, Lucy Porter. The award received by Sutherland School of Law, UCD Smurfit and A&L Goodbody was sponsored by Vuture.

Elisa Palagi (1962-2018)

Students of European Law from the early 1990s will be saddened to learn of the death, in Italy last November, of Elisa Palagi. Elisa arrived in Dublin in September 1990 to take up a post as lecturer in European Law, teaching on both the BCL and LLM programmes. She stayed in that post for two years before returning to private practice in Brussels, specialising in European and, in particular, European Competition Law. In the late nineties she returned to live in her native Tuscany from where she continued to practise law with colleagues across the EU. She is survived by her husband Alessandro Tozzi, sister Caterina and brother Nicola.

42nd Annual Bank of Ireland Student Awards

UCD Sutherland School of Law congratulates our prizewinning students who were recently awarded medals by The Hon. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath. In Stage 1 the awards are given for a Tort Essay Competition and in Stages 2, 3 & 4, the top 3 students for their overall performance across all law programmes. We are very grateful to Bank of Ireland and the Student Store at their Montrose branch for their consistent and generous support of this event which is now in its forty second year.

Prizewinners with Associate Dean of Law (left), Mr Justice Michael Mac Grath (second from right) and Dean of Law, Professor Imelda Maher (right)

Note: Joint Stage II First Place Gold Medal winner Tara Sullivan and Stage IV Gold Medal winner Conor Gallagher are both abroad studying and their awards were collected by their parents.

 Mr Justice Michael MacGrath speaking at the Awards Ceremony

The Bank of Ireland Prize Giving was first initiated by the late Dr Mary Redmond in 1976 and originally was awarded for the best Human Rights Essay. Over the years, the awards have extended to include prizes for top students in every year.

Many of our other prizewinners have gone on to pursue distinguished academic careers both overseas and at home, for example, Professor Walter Walsh of the University of Washington and Professor Gráinne de Búrca of New York University. The first prize winner Professor Brian Havel is currently Director of the Institute of Air & Space Law at McGill University and the first female prizewinner Professor Deirdre Curtin is Professor of European law at the European University Institute of Florence. Furthermore, no less than eight of our current staff are also previous prizewinners including our Dean, Professor Imelda Maher. Beyond academia, our former prizewinners include many members of the judiciary such as Síofra O’Leary, judge at the European Court of Human Rights. Judge O’Leary herself recently returned to the School to deliver this year’s Walsh Lecture.  Closer to home, former winners include Paul Coffey, Brian Cregan, Richard Humphreys and Aileen Donnelly, all judges of the High Court. The judicial involvement has made the Prize Giving the success that it is today. 

Impact case study award for Dr. T.J. McIntyre

A European law providing for mass surveillance of the entire population was struck down in 2014 following seven years of litigation by Digital Rights Ireland. Sutherland School of Law lecturer Dr. T.J. McIntyre is the chair of Digital Rights Ireland and the legal arguments in the case were based on his research into privacy and data protection rights. This judgment, by the European Court of Justice, was a landmark decision for privacy and has led to similar surveillance laws being struck down across the EU. Dr. McIntyre has testified on the litigation before the Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality, which has adopted his submissions calling for reform of the law in Ireland.

Related publications:

Judicial Oversight of Surveillance: The Case of Ireland in Comparative Perspective (opens in a new window)https://researchrepository.ucd.ie/rest/bitstreams/21070/retrieve

Implementing Information Privacy Rights in Ireland  (opens in a new window)https://ssrn.com/abstract=2701206

Data retention in Ireland: Privacy, policy and proportionality (opens in a new window)https://researchrepository.ucd.ie/rest/bitstreams/38572/retrieve

Related videos:

Testimony during Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Communications (Data Retention) Bill 2017 (opens in a new window)https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/video-archive/committees/1147

Dr. Paul Anthony McDermott SC. RIP

The Sutherland School of Law is greatly saddened by the death of our colleague, Dr. Paul Anthony McDermott SC.  Paul was an exceptional lawyer who was a legendary teacher, inspiring generations of students and producing scholarly texts in Contract Law and Criminal Procedure offering major exegeses of Irish law that are hugely influential for legal practice.  In addition, he was an eminent Senior Counsel who was well known to the general public for his insightful and concise opinions especially in newspapers and on the radio.

A UCD graduate, Paul had a BCL (1st class hons), an LLM (1st class) from Cambridge University and a PhD from UCD (under the supervision of Emeritus Professor and former Dean, Paul O’Connor),  Paul taught generations of criminal law students, more recently teaching criminal law, criminal procedure and civil procedure. The latter is often portrayed as a dull subject, but his gifted teaching was such that it was an immensely popular class.  Paul had been a keen debater as an undergraduate and continued to offer ongoing support to students, often acting as judge (he was a judge on the last Irish Times Debating competition). He was Senior Treasurer for the L&H student debating society, a commitment he continued despite his very heavy workload.

Paul had a superb intellect.  He remained deeply committed to legal education and to UCD bringing huge energy and ambition to the School throughout his 20 twenty years here as a lecturer.  As Dean, I found him unflinching in his support – a wonderful listener with his great wit and common sense. It is a shock to be writing this only a few short months after our last meeting.

Our thoughts are with Annick, his two small sons, our colleague James, his brother, and all who knew him. 

Professor Imelda Maher

Dean of Law

                                           BOOK OF CONDOLENCES

Following requests from Paul's current and former students, colleagues and friends, we have opened a Book of Condolences below to record your messages. These messages will be compiled for his family in the future.

Colin Ryan BCL 1997 receives Alumni Award in Law

Sutherland School of Law was delighted to honour our BCL 1997 graduate Colin Ryan at the 2019 UCD Alumni Awards. Colin was selected for the award because of his outstanding career success combined with extensive philanthropic work where he has focused on supporting disadvantaged communities and at-risk individuals. His achievements are outlined by Prof Imelda Maher, Dean of Law in a short video which can be viewed (opens in a new window)here.

Colin is Managing Director at the Investment Bank Goldman Sachs in San Francisco and is Co-Head of Mergers and Acquisitions for the Americas. During his time in San Francisco, and previously in London, Colin has helped advise some of the most iconic companies on their most important strategic transactions in the technology and media industry, including Amazon, Applied Materials, IBM, Qualcomm, Salesforce, SAP and Vodafone, on over $300 billion of industry-defining transactions.

Earlier this year he was also  a recipient of the Ireland Funds Distinguished Leadership Award for 2019 in recognition of his philanthropy and remarkable business achievements, noted as being a powerful example of Ireland’s diaspora giving back and investing in Ireland’s future.

We congratulate this remarkable law graduate on his outstanding achievements and contribution to society.

Final Year Student Andrea Whelton recognised for her voluntary work

Congratulations to final year Business and Law student, Andrea Whelton, who was recently featured in the annual report on Student Volunteering from Campus Engage, the national network for civic and community engagement in higher education. Their annual report for International Volunteer Day showcased impactful student volunteering across a wide range of community activities.

The report featured case studies from ten Higher Education Institutions and Andrea was highlighted as example of a UCD student who excels in her voluntary work, both within UCD and internationally. She first joined UCD Volunteers Overseas (UCDVO) in 2016, taking part in a four-week education project in Ruaha, Tanzania, teaching computer literacy and English to teachers in a primary school. Enjoying the project so much, she returned the following year in a leadership role, overseeing a group of 14 volunteers. Wanting to continue her volunteering back home, Andrea joined Enactus UCD, a group of students, academics and business leaders that develop social enterprise to help solve societal problems. Through Enactus, she volunteered with HeadstARTS, a project that provides art, drama, music and dance classes to people with intellectual disabilities. Fast-forward to today and Andrea is focusing her volunteering in her local community and seeing what change she can make locally. Volunteering has helped her to develop a broad range of skills: self confidence, teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, planning, adaptability and much more. It has also allowed her to learn about different experiences and cultures, as she has worked with diverse groups from all over the world.

We congratulate Andrea on her outstanding volunteering work both at home and abroad.

Andrea with some local children on her last volunteering programme - “I think volunteering has also allowed me to look at the world in a different way, and be more conscious of the social problems that exist in the world. Volunteering has been my favourite part of my time being in college, and I wouldn’t change my experience at all.”

Professor Gavin Barrett is runner-up in the UCD Research 2019 Impact Competition 

He was awarded for his work 'Democracy in the European Union – getting it right'

UCD Sutherland’s Professor Gavin Barrett was honoured recently in the university-wide UCD Research 2019 Impact Competition, in which he was a runner-up. Professor Barrett's award was for the impact of his research concerning democracy in the EU. His work has looked in particular at the role of parliaments, the operation of referendums, and the sensitive field of justice and home affairs. A video of Professor Barrett outlining details of his research can be viewed (opens in a new window)here.

Through his research, Professor Barrett has identified various lacunae in democratic controls, including the inadequate (though still evolving) involvement of national parliaments in European affairs, which he analysed extensively in an edited book, an Oireachtas-published report, and a book published by Manchester University Press, as well as in numerous articles and book chapters.

Professor Barrett has also researched Irish referendums (especially EU-related ones), publishing articles in international peer-reviewed journals and book chapters. He co-authored (with then-colleagues in UCD Professors Brigid Laffan, Ben Tonra, Dan Thomas and Rodney Thom) a report laying the foundations of Oireachtas policy concerning the Lisbon Treaty.

His work also played an important role in focusing attention on the illegal and discriminatory nature of voter registration procedures for non-Irish nationals in European Parliament elections, which were subsequently changed. The case study for the award is available here.

UCD Sutherland School of Law congratulates Professor Barrett on his outstanding achievement.

Professor Gavin Barrett receiving his award from Prof Orla Feely and UCD President, Prof Andrew Deeks

Dr Franck Gloglo appointed McCann FitzGerald Assistant Professor in Law and Business

UCD Sutherland School of Law is delighted to announce the recent appointment of Dr Franck Gloglo as (opens in a new window)McCann FitzGerald Assistant Professor in Law and Business. He lectures a range of business law and professional legal skills modules at undergraduate, graduate and PhD level. His research focuses on intellectual property law and various issues at the intersection of intellectual property, health and international trade law, and the globalisation of legal education.

Prior to being appointed to this role, Dr Gloglo taught on the Master of Business Law in a Global Context at the University of Montreal’s Faculty of Law. His scholarship and leadership in service to community have been recognised internationally through numerous awards and honours, including the Quebec Ministry of Finance and the Center for Studies in Economic Law at Laval University’s Bursary of Merit, the Canadian Ministries of Education Explore Program Bursary, the Justus-Liebig University of Giessen and the Hesse-Darmstadt’s Bursary and the emerging researcher’s Grant of the Center for Research in Public Law at the University of Montreal.

Dr Gloglo holds Law degrees from Benin (LL. B), France (Master), and Canada (LL.D. 2015 – Laval University). He also holds Post-Graduate Certificates in International Intellectual Property Law from the WIPO Academy & Global IP Academy of the USPTO and Justus-Liebig University in Giessen.

Irish Women Lawyers Association Competition Winner

Congratulations to Alison Coyne, PhD in Law student, who was selected by the Honourable Ms Justice McGuinness as the winner of the the  Irish Women Lawyers Association Competition with her letter to Irish Women Lawyers in 2119.  Alison will read her winning entry at the Celebrating a Century Gala in the King’s Inns on Saturday.

Please see this link for her entry:

(opens in a new window)https://iwla.ie/a-letter-to-irish-women-lawyers-in-2119/

Congratulations to Alison on her success.

McCann FitzGerald Negotiation Competition

UCD Sutherland School of Law congratulates our students who were winners at the McCann FitzGerald Negotiation Competition organised by the UCD Student Legal Service.  The finals were a culmination of 5 weeks of competition for over 40 teams of undergraduate UCD students. Professor James Devenney, McCann FitzGerald Chair of International Law and Business joined partners and associates in the firm’s ofice to judge the competition finals.  

The negotiation competition challenges teams to analyse a set of facts, prepare a strategy and achieve a favourable outcome for their client against another team. The following students were successful at Senior and Junior level in the competition:

Senior Final: Winners: Katherine Landy and Rachael Mullally. Runners Up: Niall O'Shaughnessy and Niamh McCarthy

Junior Final: Winners: Emily Hetherton and Katie Kilcoyne. Runners Up: Hugh Kilgannon and Eoin Martin.

Prof Imelda Maher and Prof Gavin Barrett books launched at MoLI

Professor Gavin Barrett and Professor Imelda Maher with Ruairí Quinn in Newman House

On Wednesday November 13 2019, members of the UCD Oireachtas Affinity Group, friends and academics gathered in Newman House to celebrate the publication of two books by Professor Gavin Barrett and Professor Imelda Maher, both of UCD Sutherland School of Law.

Professor Colin Scott, Principal of the College of Social Sciences and Law, acted as MC on the evening for the discussion between Professor Gavin Barrett, Head of Teaching and Learning in UCD Sutherland School of Law and Professor Imelda Maher, Dean of Law, on the topic of parliaments and the EU.

Discussing his book “The Evolving Role of National Parliaments in the EU - Ireland as a case study”, Professor Barrett highlighted how he examines the relationship between the Oireachtas and the European Union, as well as the evolution in national parliaments' roles, the reasons for change and the challenges that must be faced in making further progress. Professor Maher introduced her book “The Transformation of EU Treaty Making - The rise of parliaments, referendums and courts since 1950.” by explaining the process undertaken by herself and her co-author Dermot Hodson in completing the work, including studying a large number of treaties and constitutions from across Europe to explore how and why parliaments, the people and courts have entered a domain once dominated by governments.

UCD alumnus and former government minister Ruairí Quinn joined the panel as a discussant and provided valuable commentary on the wider context of Europe as a political entity. A lively discussion followed, joined by members of the audience.

The session was followed by refreshments and a private tour of the exhibition space in the Museum of Literature, Ireland.

Ruairí Quinn speaking at the Book Launch in Newman House

L-R Tim Hayes, Maria Fitzsimons, Heidi Lougheed & Leo Bollins at the Book Launch & Discussion at MoLi

L-R Prof Maher in conversation with Emer Hunt and Dr Richard Collins of Sutherland School of Law