LAUNCH OF THE RIGHTS-TO-UNITE PROJECT
The upcoming launch of the RIGHTS-TO-UNITE project will take place at UCD Sutherland School of Law on 8 November 2024
(opens in a new window)RIGHTS-TO-UNITE represents a significant step forward in understanding how EU-derived rights are used by individuals in everyday life. The project examines whether such usage of rights promotes or disrupts societal integration at local, national, and European levels. It also aims to offer groundbreaking insights into the role of law in a fractured EU.
Funded by the first ever ERC Advanced Grant awarded to a legal scholar at an Irish university, (opens in a new window)RIGHTS-TO-UNITE will explore a variety of EU-derived rights, such as economic rights, consumer rights, digital rights, and workers’ rights. The project distinguishes itself by focusing on small states both within the EU – (Czechia, Greece, Ireland, and Sweden) - and its neighbouring regions (Northern Ireland (UK), Georgia, North Macedonia, and Norway). These regions provide a unique lens through which the project will investigate how legal frameworks impact societal cohesion.
The event, hosted by UCD’s Sutherland School of Law, will begin with a welcoming address by (opens in a new window)Prof Niamh Moore Cherry, Dean of Social Sciences and College Principal in the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law. Her remarks will be followed by greetings from Prof Kate Robson Brown, Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact, highlighting the University's commitment to promoting impactful, socially responsible research.
(opens in a new window)Prof Dagmar Schiek, principal investigator of (opens in a new window)RIGHTS-TO-UNITE, and post-doctoral researchers (opens in a new window)Dr Audrey Plan and Dr Mary Naughton will introduce the project and provide an overview of its key objectives and achievements to date, emphasizing the project's unique focus on human interactions rather than institutional structures.
First panel will discuss how the law, when applied in real-world contexts, can influence integration or foster governance challenges, we hope to initiate reflection and discussion with (opens in a new window)Prof Imelda Maher, Director of the Dublin Europe Institute, kickstarting it by exploring the balance between governance and integration, raising questions on how rights can either unite or fragment societies. The discussion will be supported by (opens in a new window)Prof Brigid Laffan, Chancellor of the University of Limerick.
Second panel on EU accession states, chaired by (opens in a new window)Prof Ben Tonra, UCD SPIRE, will feature discussions on how legal frameworks shape social and political discourse in regions undergoing EU accession processes. Speakers will include (opens in a new window)Dr Lia Tsuladze, CSS (Centre for Social Sciences) and Tbilisi State University, who will present on the strategic use of Europeanization by political actors in Georgia, and (opens in a new window)Dr Simonida Kacarska, EPI Skopje, who will examine the impact of EU accession instruments on rights in North Macedonia with (opens in a new window)Prof John O'Brennan, Maynooth University joining the discussion.
The event will also serve as a platform to introduce the future PhD researchers – Aikaterini Katsaouni, Dragana Drndarevska and Lukáš Svoboda, who will be contributing to the project.
As (opens in a new window)RIGHTS-TO-UNITE moves forward, it aims to contribute significantly to European studies by generating a new theory on the role of law in societal integration within and beyond the EU. The project is set to make a substantial impact not only on academic discourse but also on the practical application of rights, fostering a more integrated and cohesive Europe.
A Century of Courts
One hundred years ago, a new system of courts was created in Ireland. The Courts of Justice Act 1924 was signed into law on 12 April 1924, and was one of the most significant pieces of legislation passed in the Free State.
The centenary will be marked on 12 April 2024 by a special event at Dublin Castle, the venue of the first sittings of the new courts.
The event includes a conference, guided tours, an exhibition and a musical performance. Speakers at the conference include academics from across the island, as well as members of the judiciary. This event is free of charge, but booking is essential.
This is a free event but registration is required. (opens in a new window)You can get tickets for this event here.
This initiative involves collaboration between the Courts Service, UCD, the Irish Legal History Society, An Post, Four Courts Press, the OPW, academics and the judiciary.
Event information:
Registration opens: 8.30 am (Exhibition and Musical performance)
Time: 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
Venue: The Printworks, Dublin Castle
Speakers include:
Tom Mohr (UCD)
Mark Coen (UCD)
Robert Marshall (ind.)
Laura Cahillane (Limerick)
Daire Hogan (ind.)
Bláthna Ruane (ind.)
Niamh Howlin (UCD)
Kevin Costello (UCD)
Patricia Ryan (President of the Circuit Court)
David Barniville (President of the High Court)
Gerard Hogan (Judge of the Supreme Court)
Úna Ní Raifeartaigh (Judge of the Court of Appeal)Róisin Costello (Trinity),
Lynsey Black (Maynooth)Danielle Jefferis (Maynooth)Brice Dickson (Queen's)
Donal Coffey (Maynooth)
This list of speakers is subject to change. The event programme will be sent to registered attendees before the event.
Later in the year,(opens in a new window)a book of essayswill be published by Four Courts Press in association with the Irish Legal History Society to further commemorate the Act.
Event Schedule*
8.30 am Registration, Exhibition, Musical Performance
9.30 am Welcome and Introductory Remarks
9.45 am Session 1
10.50 am Break, Exhibition
11.15 am Session 2
12.05 pm Session 3
1.20 pm Lunch Break, Exhibition, Guided Tours
2.45 pm Session 4
3.50 pm Session 5
5.00 pm Closing Remarks
Guided Tours
Guided Tours of Dublin Castle will show where the courts sat in 1924. The tours will operate during the lunch break from a designated assembly point.
Exhibition
The multimedia exhibition explores both the physical and the symbolic, and asks us to consider both reality and potential. It focuses on the location of the courts, the judiciary, high-profile trials, and symbolic commemoration.
Musical Performance
Harpist Teresa O’ Donnell will perform a selection of pieces on the Irish harp.
*Please note that the schedule is subject to change on the day.
Judge Suzanne Kingston "On the role of constitutional identity: Teach solais or will-o’-the-wisp?”
UCD Sutherland School of Law is delighted to welcome Judge Suzanne Kingston of the General Court of the European Union to deliver the John M Kelly Memorial Lecture. She is a Professor of Law at UCD and was a Senior Counsel practising at the Irish bar prior to her appointment to the bench. In UCD Sutherland School of Law, she led a major European Research Council funded project from 2015 to 2021.
We are particularly pleased that she will deliver the lecture in 2024 as the Sutherland School of Law celebrates a decade in the state-of-art law school building on the UCD campus with a very special evening. For details of her lecture topic and an abstract, please scroll down this page.
Date: 18th of April
Title: “On the role of constitutional identity: Teach solais or will-o’-the-wisp?”
Time: 5:45pm Registration (Tea/Coffee), Lecture starts at 6:15
Register:(opens in a new window) (opens in a new window)At this link
Note: All are welcome to attend this event but due to limited capacity, pre-registration is required.
Judge Suzanne Kingston
Suzanne Kingston was appointed a Judge in the General Court of the European Union in 2022. She is also a Professor of Law at UCD where she has lectured since 2007. She has published widely in the field of European law and governance, especially in the environmental, competition and economic, and human rights fields. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she was a Senior Counsel practising at the Irish bar and regularly appeared before the Irish and European courts.
Professor Kingston is a graduate of Oxford University (BA in Law) and the University of Leiden, the Netherlands (LL.M. in European Community Law, Ph.D.). She served as a référendaire (legal adviser) in the cabinet of Advocate General Geelhoed at the European Court of Justice, Luxembourg from 2004-2006. Prior to this, she practised EU law at the Brussels office of an international law firm and was a stagiaire at the European Commission. She has held a variety of visiting positions, most recently as international visiting professor of law and adjunct professor at Columbia Law School, New York. She has previously held visiting positions at Cambridge University, the University of Leiden, Queen's University, Belfast, and Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto.
Professor Kingston was awarded a major research grant by the EU's European Research Council in 2015. The project which was completed in 2021 investigated how the design of EU nature governance laws affects their effectiveness ((opens in a new window)http://effectivenaturelaws.ucd.ie). In 2017, she was honoured by Enterprise Ireland as one of Ireland's "Champions of EU Research", for achieving the highest-ranking Irish ERC grant across all disciplines in her category.
Lecture Abstract: “On the role of constitutional identity: Teach solais or will-o’-the-wisp?”
For years, the doctrine of constitutional identity has given rise to a heated debate: some have viewed it as a guiding light delimiting the boundaries of the EU and national legal orders; others argue that it is essentially an opportunity for constitutional relativism. In November 2022, the Irish Supreme Court stepped into the fray, invoking the doctrine for the first time in holding that it would be unconstitutional for Ireland to ratify the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Costello v Government of Ireland [2022] IESC 44).This lecture considers the utility and limits of the doctrine, in the light of the recent jurisprudence of the Supreme Court, CJEU and European Court of Human Rights. Is it, as some have argued, an important tool for protecting the autonomy of the (national or EU) legal order or, as others claim, a dangerous legal trump card with no definable boundaries?
John M. Kelly Memorial Lecture
The lecture series honours the memory of the late John M Kelly (1931 – 1991), former government minister, Attorney General and law professor in UCD. It has been hosted by the UCD School of Law for more than 20 years. It is one of the most prestigious events hosted by the School and, since its beginnings, many senior members of the Irish and international judiciary have delivered this lecture.
John M Kelly was Professor of Roman Law and Jurisprudence at UCD and a renowned expert in constitutional law. He was elected to the Seanad in 1969 and subsequently served as TD for Dublin South from 1973 - 1989, when he retired from politics. He served as a Junior Minister in the 70s and subsequently as Attorney General, acting Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Trade and Tourism. He was widely published in the area of constitutional law including the following publications: Fundamental Rights in Irish Law, Constituting Roman Litigation, Studies in Civil Jurisprudence of the Roman Republic and The Irish Constitution.
The UCD Centre for Constitutional Studies Annual Public Law conference will take place in UCD Sutherland School of Law.
Date: 29 May 2024
Time: 9.30am to 5pm
Title: "Current issues in Irish public law"
Programme: Download it here
Venue: UCD Sutherland School of Law (in person)
CPD: CPD Points: 5
Participants will include:
Fees: General Rate - €150
Fees: Practitioners <3 yrs, Students, NGOs, Unwaged: - €80
You can book your place below. Please see the below offerings.
The list of speakers and conference programme will be available shortly.
For further enquiries please email (opens in a new window)law.events@ucd.ie.