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Expert Workshop: International Law & Prosecutorial Power

Expert Workshop

International Law & Prosecutorial Power

12 December 2025, 12 noon – 5pm
NUI Merrion Square

Professor Cathryn Costello (Sutherland School of Law, UCD) and Dr Bríd Ní Ghráinne (Maynooth) are hosting an expert workshop,  in association with the ‘Criminalising Asylum in Ireland' project, funded by Research Ireland- Taighde Éireann.

International law takes shape in domestic settings, and all state agencies have obligations under international law.  When it comes to the exercise of the awesome public power of prosecution, international law both limits the use of criminal law, and in some cases demands it.   This Expert Workshop will bring together law officers, civil society actors, legal scholars and international legal practitioners, to explore obligations to prosecute and protections against prosecution.  

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Catherine Pierse, has agreed to participate.  

In Part I, the workshop examines the duties not to prosecute refugees, asylum-seekers, victims of trafficking and others.  Part II explores international criminal law, jurisdiction to try international crimes domestically (including universal jurisdiction) and the implications of the state’s obligations to end impunity for atrocity crimes.  The aim of the workshop is to share expert and comparative insights on the law and practice from selected other jurisdictions, and to examine the Irish law and practice in light thereof.  

Speakers on Non-Penalisation include Dr Clíodhna Murphy (Maynooth); Dr Yulia Ioffe (UCL); Dr Bríd Ní Ghráinne (Maynooth), and Maria Hennessy (UNHCR Ireland).

Speakers on International Criminal Prosecutions include Ester Kosova (Eurojust); Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, KC (Matrix Chambers & Adjunct Full Professor, Sutherland School of Law);  Professor Devika Hovell (LSE) and Arne Bardelle (European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Berlin).

The event will take place at NUI Merrion Square on Friday 12th December, from 12 noon til 5pm, followed by dinner. 

Interested PhD researchers and academics are welcome to apply to attend, explaining their interest, by email to (opens in a new window)Jonathan.wren@ucd.ie

UCD Sutherland School of Law

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.