Professor Oonagh Breen appointed to The Law Reform Commission
In September 2025, Professor Oonagh Breen was appointed to the role of part-time commissioner with the Law Reform Commission. Her appointment is designed to strengthen the Commission’s capacity to deliver on its work keeping the law under review and making recommendations for reform.
Professor Breen is a qualified barrister and a renowned expert in regulation and governance, with a particular focus on the legal regulation of charities.
She holds a BCL and LLM from University College Dublin (UCD), an LLM and JSD from Yale Law School, and teaches NGO law and governance and equity and the law of trusts at UCD Sutherland School of Law.
In 2021, she was appointed chair of the independent review of charity regulation in Northern Ireland. In November 2025 she was also appointed to the Charities Regulator's Consultative Panel, joining ten others appointed to the panel on the Advancement of Human Rights as a Charitable Purpose.
Professor Breen is the co-editor of several significant publications, including Regulatory Waves: Comparative Perspectives on State Regulation and Self-Regulation Policies in the Nonprofit Sector (2017) and co-author of Law of Charities in Ireland (2019).
She has held both Fulbright and Government of Ireland research fellowships.
Professor Cathryn Costello appointed to Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission
In November 2025, Professor Cathryn Costello was appointed to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. She is Full Professor of Global Refugee and Migration Law at the Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin, where she is also Director of the PhD Programme.
Professor Costello was formerly Professor of Fundamental Rights and Co-Director of the Centre for Fundamental Rights at the Hertie School (2020 – 2023). She was Andrew W Mellon Professor of International Refugee and Migration Law at the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford (2013-2023). She remains a Visiting Professor at both the Hertie School and the University of Oxford.
She is a leading scholar of international and European refugee and migration law and also explores the relationship between migration and labour law in her work. Amongst her published work, she is the author of The Human Rights of Migrants and Refugees in European Law (OUP 2015) (co-winner of the Odysseus Prize 2016).
She was one of six new experts and activists appointed to the Commission, the others being Sam Blanckensee, Adam Harris, Rosaleen McDonagh, Patricia Munatsi-Mangwiza and Rose Wall.
Four Distinguished Adjuncts appointed to UCD Sutherland School of Law Faculty
(L to R) Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC, Prof Neil H Buchanan, Dr Nikolaos Pitsos and the Hon Patricia Lucas
We are proud to announce the recent appointment of four adjuncts to our Sutherland School of Law faculty in UCD. They are, renowned barrister, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC, economist and legal scholar, Professor Neil H Buchanan, the Hon Patricia Lucas (retired US Judge) and competition lawyer, Dr Nikolaos Pitsos.
Adjunct Professors are appointed by UCD Sutherland School of Law to enhance our teaching, contribute to our research profile and to add to the intellectual life of the school. These prestigious appointments reflect our desire to offer students the opportunity to engage with inspirational professionals throughout their time in UCD. Details of our full adjunct faculty are listed at this link.
Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC: Appointed Adjunct Full Professor
Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC is a leading international and human rights expert, called to the Bars of Ireland, North and South, and England and Wales, and on the International Criminal Court’s List of Practice. Blinne has an extensive practice, acting for and advising individuals, States, NGOs and other bodies, before domestic and international courts and tribunals. Amongst her many notable cases, she has acted for South Africa in its genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice and acts for Palestine in the proceedings before the Court concerning Israel’s obligations to ensure food and basic services to Gaza.
Professor Neil H Buchanan: Appointed Visiting Full Professor
Neil H Buchanan, BA (Vassar College), PhD in Economics (Harvard), JD (University of Michigan), and PhD in Laws (Monash University), is an economist and legal scholar. He has taught economics at Harvard, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Michigan; and he has taught law at The George Washington University, New York University, and Rutgers University. His core areas of research are tax policy, intergenerational justice, retirement security, critical perspectives on economics as applied to law, and the future of democracy in the US and the world.
Dr Nikolaos Pitsos: Appointed Adjunct Research Fellow
Dr Nikolaos Pitsos is an experienced researcher, lecturer and lawyer. His research interests include Competition and EU Law, Energy Law, Commercial and Technology Law. He holds a law degree from National Kapodistrian University of Athens, a PhD in EU Competition law and an LLM in EU Business Law from Free University of Berlin and an LLM from the UC Berkeley School of Law). During 2024/2025 he was awarded the prestigious Ronan P Harty Newman Fellowship in Competition Law and his research has been focused on the role of competition law in realising societal objectives of sustainability, markets regulation under the recent EU Artificial Intelligence Act and the interaction between IP rights and competition.
The Hon Patrica M Lucas – Appointed Adjunct Full Professor
The Honorable Patricia M Lucas is retired from the California Superior Court for Santa Clara County, where she served as presiding (chief) judge. During her 20 years on the bench, Judge Lucas supervised the Court's civil and family divisions, and served in a pro tem assignment on the California Sixth District Court of Appeal. For many years Judge Lucas has taught California judges, and she served as the Dean of the California Judicial College. Before she took the bench in 2003, Judge Lucas practiced complex civil litigation for over 20 years, most recently with the Silicon Valley firm of Fenwick & West where she chaired the litigation group.
UCD Alumni Award in Law 2025 honours Sarah Keane
(L to R) Law with Politics student, Máirín Harding, Sarah Keane, UCD President, Prof Orla Feely
The annual UCD Alumni Awards, held in October 2025, honoured Sarah Keane (BCL 1995, LLM 1996) with the UCD Alumni Award in Law. Sarah, the first female President of the Olympic Federation of Ireland, was the worthy recipient of this annual award bestowed by UCD and the Sutherland School of Law.
The annual UCD Alumni Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of our graduates and their far-reaching contributions. The Alumni Award in Law recognises Sarah Keane for her exceptional accomplishments in both sports and law. As the first Chief Executive Officer of Swim Ireland, she was instrumental in modernising the organisation and advancing swimming, water polo, diving, and other aquatic disciplines. In 2017, she became the first female President of the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI), a role she was reappointed to in 2020. She stepped down in December 2024 after leading the OFI to Ireland's most successful Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
Sarah is an influential figure in global and national sports governance, serving on the government appointed Leadership Group for the implementation of the National Sports Policy. A committed advocate for gender equality, diversity, and inclusion, she chairs the European Aquatics DEI Committee. A qualified solicitor with a degree in law, a masters in commercial law and diplomas in corporate and financial management, she also serves on the Central Bank of Ireland Commission and previously worked as an Associate Partner at Matheson law firm. In October Sarah Keane’s appointment as CEO of Cricket Ireland was announced.
She recalls her time studying law at UCD as a time for growth in her life, building up confidence from an education perspective that later shaped her leadership in the professionalisation of Irish sport.
The other recipient of UCD Alumni Awards in 2025 were Dr Shourjya Sanyal, Louise Quinn, Aimee Connolly, Dr Peter J. Timoney, Dr Úna McCarthy-Fakhry, Niall McLaughlin, Paul O’Brien, Dr Emily O’Reilly (more information (opens in a new window)here).
Sarah Keane is the twelfth recipient of the UCD Alumni Award for Law. The distinguished alumni who have received this award over the past eleven years are:
UCD Alumni Award for Law
2014 (opens in a new window)Maeve O’Rourke
2015 (opens in a new window)Miriam O’Callaghan
2016 (opens in a new window)Benjamin Cleary
2017 (opens in a new window)Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC
2018 (opens in a new window)Vincent Keaveny CBE
2019 (opens in a new window)Colin Ryan
2020 (opens in a new window)Sally Hayden
2021 (opens in a new window)Fiona McEntee
2022 (opens in a new window)Bill Shipsey SC
2023 (opens in a new window)Aedamar Comiskey
Seminar with Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, on Europe’s Human Rights Challenges
The UCD Centre for Human Rights, together with the Sutherland School of Law hosted a high-level seminar with Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, on Wednesday, 29 October 2025. Michael O’Flaherty is also UCD Law Adjunct Full Professor.
In his captivating talk, the Commissioner spoke about Europe’s numerous human rights challenges and the role of the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner in addressing them.
He outlined the grave crisis of human rights and well-being that Europe is facing today: From the horrors of war and the undermining of the rule of law to the grave and growing inequality among people; from the threats posed by new technologies to the impact of the triple planetary crisis. To address these, he recalled the continued importance of the well-established protection of human rights deeply enshrined as common standards in European and international human rights law by which all member states of the Council of Europe are bound and have firmly committed to. Incremental but consistent steps are taken by the Commissioner to uphold the law in difficult times. Among them are steps towards ensuring renewed protection of minorities like Roma and LGTBQIA+communities; towards integrating human rights firmly into a peace process in Ukraine; towards regulating new technologies in compliance with the human rights to privacy and freedom of expression and opinion; and towards protecting the space for independent civil society organisations to thrive, exercising freedom of assembly and association rights as well as enabling people to actively take part and shape the political life of their communities.
Numerous students as well as academic and professional staff joined the lively and open discussions with the Commissioner after his talk.
UCD SUTHERLAND OPPORTUNITY BURSARIES
Call for Applications
The UCD Sutherland School of Law is now inviting applications for the UCD Sutherland Opportunity Bursaries from undergraduate and graduate students of the School facing economic or financial challenges.
This generous bursary scheme is supported by philanthropic funding from our alumni and is designed to support students in UCD Sutherland School of Law who face financial challenges in completing their studies towards a UCD degree in the Sutherland School of Law.
Incoming exchange students are not eligible to apply for these bursaries (although incoming BCL/Maitrise students are eligible to apply).
Students who have previously applied for a bursary - whether successfully or unsuccessfully – and students already in receipt of Cothram na Féinne, are welcome to apply.
The closing deadline for submission of fully completed applications is by no later than 5pm on Wednesday, 5 November 2025.
All applications must be completed via the relevant online application form. (opens in a new window)Click here to fill in the form or fill it in below.
Dr Mina Hosseini and Professor Imelda Maher guest edit "The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics"
We are pleased to share details of the September issue of The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics which has been guest edited by our colleagues Dr Mina Hosseini and Professor Imelda Maher. The edition is titled “Public Health, Markets, and Law” and is a collection of papers presented at two international workshops hosted by Dr Hosseini and Professor Maher. Published by Cambridge University Press, the edition is available at (opens in a new window)this link.
The “Public Health, Markets, and Law” symposium examines how legal and market frameworks influence public health in an increasingly complex global environment. It explores the intersections between public health, market dynamics, and legal frameworks.
This collection emerged from two workshops funded by the EU’s MSCA COMPHACRISIS project and UCD Sutherland School of Law. These workshops brought together a diverse range of experts from various backgrounds and career stages, including public health, business, sociology, law, and ethics, enabling us to view public health problems from different perspectives and uncover relationships that may not be apparent when viewed through a single lens.
Featured Papers & Authors:
(opens in a new window) “The EU’s Extraterritorial Obligations for Global Medicine Access under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CPRD) ” by Katrina Perehudoff
(opens in a new window) “Trust beyond Borders: European External Regulatory Influence on Access to Medicines” by Pramiti Parwani, Katrina Perehudoff, and Anniek de Ruijter
(opens in a new window) “Abuse of Dominant Position, Effective Judicial Protection and Abuse of Procedure” by Carmen de Vivero de Porras and Enrique Sanjuán y Muñoz
(opens in a new window) “Competition Law and Ethics of Innovation as Catalysts for Fairness: Reimagining the EU’s COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy” by Mina Hosseini
(opens in a new window) “Wrestling the Two-Headed Hydra: On the Consequences of the Bifurcated Concept of ‘Undertaking’ in EU Competition Law” by Łukasz Grzejdziak
Acknowledgements
This Symposium is co-funded by the European Union’s MSCA COMPHACRISIS project and UCD Sutherland School of Law. This research is part of the COMPHACRISIS project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe MSCA programme (grant agreement no 101061575). The views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency.
Athena Swan Re-Bronze Awarded to UCD Sutherland School of Law
Professor Aisling Swaine collected the Athena Swan Bronze award on behalf of the School at a ceremony in South East Technological University
UCD Sutherland School of Law was conferred an Athena Swan Bronze award in a ceremony held on the 12th November in the South East Technological University (SETU) in Carlow. UCD was in receipt of a total of nine awards, with the Sutherland School of Law achieving a second bronze award.
Athena Swan Ireland highlighted many of the good practices that academic institutions in Ireland have adopted under their gender equality action plans to advance equality provisions in their institutions. The Sutherland School of Law’s creation of a ‘Law Career Progression Panel’ was highlighted as one of the many good practices within the school’s action plan. The Law Career Progression Panel is appointed annually with senior faculty who provide time to offer support to colleagues seeking academic promotions, to develop grant applications and further their research.
The Athena Swan programme offers a framework for progressing gender equality in higher education and research that is unique to Ireland and it is an honour for the school to have received this award for a second time.
Dean of Law, Professor Imelda Maher, said,
“This is very good news for the School: our students and ourselves. It is great to get recognition for our work on gender equality. I am particularly grateful to Professor Aisling Swaine, Dr T.J McIntyre and Dr Deirdre Healy who led the School's Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team (SAT), alongside the School EDI Committee, for all of the work they put into achieving this success.”
Sarah Fink, Head of Athena Swan Ireland, said,
“This Bronze Athena Swan award highlights the fantastic commitment of University College Dublin, Sutherland School of Law, in bringing about change through impactful and sustainable gender equality initiatives in higher education across Ireland. Congratulations to all those who work so hard to achieve and sustain this recognition.”
Jennie Rothwell, Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Higher Education Authority, said,
"Action plans developed through the Athena Swan Ireland Charter enable higher education institutions and departments to take an evidence-based approach to addressing gender equality challenges. Congratulations to University College Dublin, Sutherland School of Law, in taking this step forward to advance gender equality for all staff and students."
Of the many initiatives that the School has undertaken since first receiving the Bronze Award, one has been the development of a dedicated EDI presence on the School’s website here. This provides an invaluable resource for staff and students seeking information on related subjects.
Conor Gearty RIP
The Sutherland School of Law community is greatly saddened by the death of one of our most distinguished alumni, Professor Conor Gearty (BCL, LLM, PhD, KC (hons), FBA, MRIA on Thursday 11 September 2025. He was conferred by UCD with an honorary doctorate in 2014 and gave the annual (opens in a new window)John Kelly lecture in 2008.
Conor graduated from UCD with a BCL Degree in 1978. At UCD, his skills as a debater were world class, and he won all the (opens in a new window)main debating awards with his debating partners, Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell and the author, poet and barrister, John O’Donnell SC. On a return visit to the campus recently, he was delighted to point to his name on the UCD Law Society Board of Auditors.
From UCD, and after qualifying as a solicitor, he went to the University of Cambridge for his LLM and PhD and spent the remainder of his career in the UK where he was a special beacon of excellence amongst the large number of Irish legal academics there. He became a fellow of Emmanuel College Cambridge in 1983, and in 1990 moved to King’s College London, and from there to the London School of Economics (LSE) in 2002 where he was Director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights Law (2002-2009), Professor of Human Rights Law (2009-2025) and Director of the Institute of Public Affairs (2012-2016). He was an Honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy and a Fellow of British Academy (where he also served a term as Vice President for Social Sciences) as well as holding several honorary degrees.
He also practiced human rights law, and was a founding member of Matrix Chambers, an honorary KC, a Bencher of the Middle Temple London and an Honorary Bencher, of the King’s Inn London.
His academic writings straddled two main fields. Terrorism - his first book, Terror was published in 1991 and the theme was revisited most recently in 2024 in Homeland Insecurity. The Rise and Rise of Global Anti-Terrorism Law. The second theme of his work was strong support for human rights combined with a robust concern for the mechanisms through which they are vindicated.
As a public intellectual, he was vigorous, prolific and impactful, engaging in an astonishing array of policy engagement and public lectures as well as writing regularly for the Guardian, the Tablet, and the London Review of Books. He embraced new media, with frequent web-based projects (including a crowd-sourced UK Constitution), and podcasts. In a recent edition of the podcast ‘The Human Edge’, you can find Conor (opens in a new window)reflecting on his decision to leave Ireland in the 1980s, his career as an Irish person in the UK, and his passion for his work.
Conor had an extraordinary and uniquely impactful career in academia, the media and the London Bar. As Professor Colin Scott remarked in his oration on the occasion of Conor’s honorary doctoral conferring in 2014:
‘Conor Gearty, you are a true representative of the Republic of Conscience. Through your scholarship you have challenged received wisdoms. Your commitment to, and achievements in, communication have enhanced society’s ability to reflect on vital matters of law, justice, society and democracy. You have used your position, your skills and your energy to enrich our public sphere. For this civilizing gift we honour you today.’
Conor being conferred with his BCL in UCD in 1978 (Photo courtesy of Frank Callanan SC
Our condolences to his family and friends, in particular Aoife, Eliza, Owen, Éile and Fiadh.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Three New Faculty Appointed to UCD Sutherland School of Law
(L to R) Dr Amanda Byer, Dr Ciara Molloy and Dr Aoife McPartland
We are very pleased to announce the appointment of three new colleagues to the UCD Sutherland School of Law faculty.
Dr Amanda Byer: Ad Astra Fellow in International Law and Global Justice
Dr Amanda Byer has joined the School as Assistant Professor in International Law and Global Justice. She has been appointed as part of the Ad Astra Fellows programme, a UCD initiative to recruit fifty early-career faculty this year. Dr Byer had previously been part of the ERC Property [In]Justice team in UCD Sutherland School of Law.
Dr Byer worked for over ten years in the Caribbean region as an environmental legal consultant. She holds a PhD in cultural heritage law from Leiden University, an LLM from University College London, an LLB and MSc from the University of West Indies, and a BA in Development Economics from the Sarah Lawrence College, New York.
Dr Byer’s research concerns the relationship between law and spatial justice, particularly the role of landscape in the protection of environmental and human rights for local communities.
Dr Ciara Molloy: Assistant Professor in Criminology
Dr Ciara Molloy has been appointed Assistant Professor in Criminology. Dr Molloy joins UCD from the University of Sheffield where she was a Lecturer in Criminology.
Dr Molloy holds an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice from UCD and undertook her PhD at UCD Sutherland School of Law, supervised by Professor Ian O’Donnell. During her PhD she was awarded a Sutherland School of Law Doctoral Scholarship and subsequently an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship. Her key research areas include historical criminology, victimology, policing, cultural criminology, and restorative justice.
Dr Molloy will lecture on the BSc Criminology and Psychology degree which is now in its third year and continues to grow in popularity with both domestic and international students.
Dr Aoife McPartland: Matheson Assistant Professor in Corporate Law and Governance
Dr Aoife McPartland has been appointed Assistant Professor in Corporate Law and Governance and will take up the role in January 2026.
Earlier this year, leading law firm Matheson LLP signed a collaboration arrangement with UCD Sutherland School of Law in the area of corporate governance and related law. This important new faculty appointment has been established thanks to philanthropic funding from Matheson.
Dr McPartland is currently a Senior Enforcement Manager with the Corporate Enforcement Authority. She successfully completed a PhD in Law in UCD Sutherland School of Law in October 2024, supervised by Dr Noel McGrath. Her doctoral thesis explored the purpose of Ireland’s restriction of company directors’ regime and its impact on directors’ constitutional rights.
Prior to completing her PhD at UCD, Aoife obtained the professional qualification of Barrister-at-Law. In addition, she holds an LLM from Trinity and a BA in Economics, Politics and Law from DCU.
Chief Justice, Mr Donal O’Donnell, awarded UCD Honorary Doctorate
We were delighted to award an honorary doctorate to our distinguished alumnus, Ireland’s Chief Justice, Mr Donal O’Donnell at the conferring ceremony in September 2025. The award recognises his outstanding contributions to law, public service and the UCD community.
Known for his speciality in constitutional law, and frequent appearances on behalf of the State while a barrister, the graduate of UCD Sutherland School of Law rose to the highest judicial office in Ireland when he was appointed chief justice in 2021 after more than a decade on the Supreme Court.
His distinguished career has established him as a legal thinker of national and international standing, and one of the foremost jurists of his generation.
Made a bencher of the King’s Inns in 2009, the following year the Belfast native was appointed directly to the Supreme Court from the bar — a rare and unusual honour.
Beyond the courtroom, he has published widely on constitutional and legal history, served on the Law Reform Commission, and held roles with Our Lady’s Hospice and the Irish Legal History Society.
Throughout his career, Mr Justice O’Donnell has maintained strong ties with UCD, delivering lectures, contributing to research, and supporting student initiatives such as the Law Review, the Legal Service and the Law Society.
His father, the late Turlough O’Donnell, served as a High Court judge in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, presiding over some of the most high-profile trials of the era including that of the Shankill Butchers.
Dr Niamh Howlin, Associate Professor in UCD Sutherland School of Law, read the official citation for Mr Justice O’Donnell which can be downloaded here.
The Chief Justice with Dr Niamh Howlin, UCD President, Prof Orla Feely and Dean of Law, Imelda Maher.
UCD to host the largest public law conference ever held in Ireland (July 2026)
We are delighted to announce that the 2026 Annual Conference of the International Society of Public Law (ICON-S) will take place in July 2026 at University College Dublin, hosted by the UCD Centre for Constitutional Studies and UCD Sutherland School of Law.
This landmark event will be the largest public law conference ever held in Ireland, bringing together over 2,000 scholars, students, judges, and practitioners from around the globe. UCD’s beautiful campus will be a vibrant hub of intellectual exchange and collaboration, exploring the most pressing questions in constitutional, administrative, international and public law.
The announcement was made in July 2025 by UCD Law alumna, Professor Gráinne de Búrca, at the 2025 ICON-S conference hosted by the University of Brasília (UnB) in Brazil. Professor de Búrca is Honorary President of ICON-S and was recently appointed a Visiting Full Professor at UCD Sutherland School of Law.
Commenting on the announcement that UCD has been selected to host this major international law conference, the Dean of Law, Professor Laurent Pech said
“UCD Sutherland School of Law has a long tradition of public law scholarship reflected in the UCD Centre for Constitutional Studies and is proud to have been selected to organise and host the next ICON-S annual conference. At a time where the rule of law is declining globally, I cannot think of a better scholarly forum to discuss the most pressing issues in the public law field.”
Professor Eoin Carolan SC, Director of the UCD Centre for Constitutional Studies added "It's a real privilege for UCD to have been awarded the honour of hosting such a major event. With so many international legal figures coming to Dublin, it will be a great opportunity for the Irish legal community to showcase its talent and expertise to a global audience.”
(opens in a new window)The International Society of Public Law (ICON-S) is the world’s largest and leading learned society for all areas of public law - administrative law, constitutional law, international law, and far beyond. The annual conference of ICON-S is renowned for fostering inclusive, cutting-edge scholarship and interdisciplinary dialogue.
In 2026, participants can expect an exciting programme of panels, keynotes, and social events - all set against the backdrop of Dublin’s rich cultural and historical landscape. UCD looks forward to welcoming the world’s public law community to Dublin for what promises to be a truly unforgettable conference. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details — ICON-S 2026 at UCD is not to be missed!
Chief Justice chairs opening plenary at Public Law Conference 2025
The Hon. Mr. Justice Donal O’Donnell, Chief Justice chairing the opening plenary
In late May 2025, we were pleased to welcome a distinguished line up of speakers to the Annual Conference of the UCD Centre for Constitutional Studies. This year’s conference was our most successful to date with an extremely engaged audience of legal professionals in attendance. Participants included the Chief Justice, two judges of the Court of Appeal, many senior barristers, representatives of leading law firms and speakers from both the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisors. We also welcomed many leading academic experts on public law from UCD and other Irish and UK universities.
The Hon. Mr. Justice Donal O’Donnell, Chief Justice chaired the plenary session where “Constitutional stability and the rule of law” was the topic discussed. University College London’s Professor Colm O’Cinneide delivered a thought-provoking paper titled ‘An island of stability?: Irish constitutional law and the democratic rule of law crisis’. He was followed by an excellent presentation from Dr Joelle Grogan, the legal academic, broadcaster, and expert on the rule of law who works across the fields of UK, and EU law. She titled her discussion: “In stormy seas: democratic deconsolidation and rule of law breakdown beyond Ireland”.
Professor Colm O’Cinneide and Joelle Grogan speaking at the first plenary session
For plenary two: “General issues in public law”, we were honoured to welcome Mr Justice Brian O’Moore of the Court of Appeal, to chair a panel with speakers Joe Jeffers SC, Professor Catherine Donnelly SC of TCD and Professor Eoin Carolan SC of UCD.
The Hon. Mr Justice Brian O’Moore of the Court of Appeal chairing plenary two
Chief Justice Mr Donal O’Donnell with Dr Saoirse Enright, Benedetta Lobina and Professor Eoin Carolan
There were four further sessions across the day with parallel sessions running across the main areas of public law featuring leading practitioners and academics discussing the following topics:
- Parliamentary Privilege in practice
- Equality before the law
- Legal costs and access to justice
- Regulation and investigations
- Information and data protection
- Commercial and arbitration
- Immigration and citizenship
- Planning and environmental
The full conference programme, outlining all speakers and topics, can be downloaded at this link.
Dr Niamh Howlin awarded prize for Outstanding Contribution to Legal Scholarship
Dr Niamh Howlin (centre) with (l-r) Keith Walsh, Chair of the Judging Panel; John Hogan, legalbooks.ie and Legal and General; Rossa Fanning SC, Attorney General; Niall Cawley, President of the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association. (Photo credit: Mark Harrison).
We are pleased to announce that our colleague and former Dean, Dr Niamh Howlin was unanimously awarded a prize for Outstanding Contribution to Legal Scholarship at the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association Law Book Awards.
Dr Howlin was awarded this prestigious prize on the basis of two books published in 2023 and 2024: Barristers in Ireland: An Evolving Profession Since 1921 (Four Courts Press, 2023) and A Century of Courts: The Courts of Justice Act 1924 (Four Courts Press, 2025). She was presented with leather-bound copies of both books by Attorney General Rossa Fanning at a gala awards dinner.
The winners of the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association Law Book Awards were announced and celebrated at the dinner hosted in April by DSBA President Niall Cawley at the Kildare St. and University Club, St Stephen’s Green.
Congratulations also to colleagues Dr Maebh Harding and Anthony Kerr SC who were also shortlisted at the award ceremony. Dr Harding for Law Book of the Year and Anthony Kerr for Practical Law Book of the Year.
The award details and the leather-bound copies of Dr Howlin’s books
Celebrating a Decade of Fitzpatrick Family Foundation Research
L to R: Oonagh Breen, Director of Research, Sile and Seamus Fitzpatrick, Laurent Pech, Dean and Head of School and Jordan Campell, CEO UCD Foundation
On Wednesday 18 June 2025, UCD Sutherland School of Law, along with UCD Foundation invited Sile and Seamus Fitzpatrick to celebrate a decade of their support for the School’s empirical research in the fields of Socio-Legal, Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Criminal law. Sile, as Director of the Fitzpatrick Family Foundation and her husband met with former awardees and got to hear from them and see some of their outputs.
The Fitzpatrick Family Foundation originally funded a PhD scholarship in 2011, and Dr Aoife Watters was its first recipient. The title of her thesis Control and Gender: An Analysis of the Irish Prison Disciplinary System. Upon completion, the thesis was shared with interested parties including the Irish Prison Service, the Office of the Inspector of Prisons, the Irish Penal Reform Trust and criminology scholars.
Over time, the endowment evolved to fund research in socio-legal, criminology, criminal justice and criminal law. Dr Síle McGuckian Fitzpatrick is a Director of the Fitzpatrick Family Foundation. As a funding model, it has proven to be incredibly successful. The cyclical and sustained nature of the support has ensured continuity of research work (as exemplified in two 2-part research projects) and a proliferation of research outputs.
Other projects featured in the Showcase included Judge-Jury Relations in Ireland. A team of researchers published a ground-breaking report assessing the interactions between judges and jurors in Ireland. This two-stage study is the realisation of a project which began in 2017 by Dr Mark Coen and Dr Niamh Howlin, along with their research assistants, Dr Colette Barry and Mr John Lynch.
Professor Ian O’Donnell also secured two streams of funding and supported his project Life after Life a piece of empirical research based on an Ethiopian prison. And by way of follow up of this study secured funding for Qualitative Study of Short-Term Imprisonment in Ireland. Ian’s last study produced a paper in the second edition of the 2024 volume of the Irish Judicial Studies Journal. There is also an essay in a literary magazine (The Dublin Review) which appeared in the autumn 2024 issue.
Award recipients with the Fitzpatrick donors: L to R - Dr Mark Coen, Dr Collette Barry, Dr Aoife Watters, Dr Niamh Howlin, Sile and Seamus Fitzpatrick, Professor Ian O’Donnell and Oonagh Breen, Director of Research.
Conference for Early Career Academics on "Interdisciplinarity and Law"
In June 2025, three postdoctoral researchers from UCD Sutherland School of Law organised a very successful conference for early career academics. The theme of the conference was: “Law and…”: Reflections on Interdisciplinarity and Law with Early Career Academics in Ireland and the UK”. The researchers who organised the conference were (opens in a new window)Dr Audrey M. Plan, (opens in a new window)Dr Mina Hosseini, and (opens in a new window)Dr Saoirse Enright.
(opens in a new window)Professor Oonagh Breen delivered the welcome address with Dr Plan, Dr Hosseini led the keynote conversation and Dr Enright gave the closing statements. The event allowed early career researchers reflect on the challenges and opportunities presented by an interdisciplinary approach to legal research. Senior academics and funding partners also joined the conversation, offering insights into career development. The audience was extremely diverse with early career researchers from Ireland, the UK, Europe and South Africa.
Supported by the Sutherland School of Law and the Society of Legal Scholars, the conference served as a forum to explore the realities of interdisciplinary research careers. From methodological challenges to career management strategies, from the excitement of developing innovative theories to the difficulty of disseminating interdisciplinary work - how can early-career researchers successfully navigate academia?
The Conference Keynote Speaker was (opens in a new window)Professor Susi Geiger, Full Professor of Markets, Organizations and Society at UCD College of Business. In her wide ranging speech, she offered a great deal of valuable insights for the audience, including the practical advice that interdisciplinary researchers need to "find their tribe" in order to thrive. In that spirit, the conference fostered valuable new connections and opportunities.
UCD Law Students win Cape Town Convention Moot Competition
(L to R) Mr Justice Denis McDonald, Robert Grendon, Mr Justice Michael Quinn, Josh Walsh, Niamh McKnight, Robin Jowett and Ms Justice Eileen Roberts
The Cape Town Convention Academic Project held its inaugural Irish moot in Arthur Cox LLP offices on 24 June 2025. UCD was represented by Robert Grendon, Josh Walsh, Niamh McKnight and Robin Jowett.
The competition was tough and the opposing team from Trinity College were very skilled advocates, but the UCD team were delighted to be successful in the end. The moot itself was concerned with the interaction of Irish Schemes of Arrangement (Part 9 Companies Act 2014) and remedies under the Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol. It was a daunting task for the UCD students insofar as the moot scenario involved many new legal concepts. The UCD team enjoyed the incredible opportunity to present their case before three highly esteemed judges, Mr Justice Denis McDonald, Ms Justice Eileen Roberts and Mr Justice Michael Quinn. The judges provided very helpful feedback and asked many challenging but very fair questions. The students were supported in their preparations by Dr. Máire Ní Shúilleabháin and Dr. Noel McGrath of the UCD Sutherland School of Law and by lawyers from A&L Goodbody, Arthur Cox, Mason Hayes & Curran, Matheson and McCann FitzGerald.
The students would like to thank Séamus Ó Cróinín of A&L Goodbody and Jeffrey Wool of the Cape Town Convention Academic Project for organising the event.
New Partnership announced with Matheson
We are pleased to announce the launch of The UCD Matheson Corporate Governance Partnership, a new collaboration with Matheson LLP which will support UCD Sutherland School of Law in the teaching and research of corporate governance and related law.
The partnership will see the appointment of a new Matheson Assistant Professor in Corporate Governance and Law. The assistant professor will advance research in this area of law and will focus on strengthening the UCD Sutherland School of Law’s teaching and research profile in areas such as corporate governance, company law and compliance.
Recruitment for the post has already commenced with a view to the new assistant professor being appointed for the 2025-26 academic year.
Hackathon
Part of the programme will see the introduction of a new “Matheson UCD Governance Hackathon”, a multidisciplinary hackathon which will see students working in teams in a fast-paced environment to consider fictional scenarios in corporate governance, thereby encouraging original thinking and problem-solving.
Seminar Series
An additional aspect of the programme will feature a series of seminars which will bring together leading experts, academics, and practitioners to discuss and analyse the latest developments in corporate governance, company law and compliance. The seminars will also provide a platform for discussion, knowledge-sharing, and the generation of innovative ideas that will help to shape the future of these areas of law.
Professor Laurent Pech, Dean at UCD Sutherland School of Law, said: “This new partnership with Matheson is an exciting opportunity for UCD Sutherland School of Law. With the growing regulatory changes in relation to corporate law and ESG, law students now need to understand the challenges and opportunities presented by the interplay and operation of ESG obligations.
The School’s partnership with Matheson, including the recruitment of the Matheson Assistant Professor in Corporate Governance and Law, will provide for a focussed approach in the teaching and research of corporate governance and related law. Furthermore, it will strengthen the knowledge and academic experience of our law students and lay the groundwork for further developing this area of law.”
Patrick Spicer, Chairperson, Matheson stated: “We are delighted to further cement our longstanding relationship with UCD with this new partnership with the Sutherland School of Law. The area of corporate governance has evolved considerably in recent years and can often be a complex subject for businesses to navigate. We believe that this collaboration will shine a spotlight on the importance of focused teaching in this sector and that it will provide the necessary resources to not only invest in the development of future talent but, also to further advance the available research in this area, which will have immense benefits for the wider legal and business communities.”
Susanne McMenamin, Corporate Partner, Matheson, also said: “This partnership marks an exciting step to furthering investment into the research and development of corporate governance in Ireland. Working together with UCD on this collaboration reflects our shared commitment to the advancement of research, thought leadership and innovative thinking in this area of law. ”
UCD scholarship honours late Declan McCourt
We are pleased to announce details of the Declan McCourt Masters Scholarship in Law. The scholarship has been set up with a €1 million fund at UCD Foundation in honour of the late Declan McCourt, a UCD Law alumnus, businessman, a longtime friend of the Law School and chair of the School's Development Council.
We are currently welcoming applications from final-year law students at the law school who are recipients of the UCD Cothrom na Féinne scholarship and/or the SUSI grant, and who have achieved an upper second-class honours average grade to date.The awardee will receive the equivalent of the EU tuition fees of their one-year masters programme, up to the value of €25,000.This scholarship is a wonderful opportunity for UCD law students who wanted to pursue a postgraduate degree but might not be in a position to do so because of the financial commitment. We are extremely grateful to those who have supported the fund – including many UCD alumni and friends of the university.
More information about the scholarship programme and the application process can be found in the scholarship section of this website. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is 31st May.
UCD Environmental Law Field Trip to Brussels
Each year, members of our MSc in Environmental and Climate Law class travel to Brussels with (opens in a new window)Dr. Andrew Jackson to meet with DG Environment of the European Commission and to visit the European Parliament. This year’s trip took place earlier this week, on Tuesday 20th May.
The trip forms part of the law school’s ‘Environmental Moot Court’ module, which is a core module on the MSc programme. The module is based on a common EU environmental law case study that is agreed pre-Christmas each year with colleagues from universities across the EU: from the Université Catholique de Lyon in France, the Universities of Greifswald and Münster in Germany, Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and UCD in Ireland.
This year Dr. Jackson drafted the case study, and the national moots (mock trials) focused on the topical issue of the EU’s Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and oil/gas extraction. The central issue was whether the greenhouse gas emissions that are released by end user burning of oil/gas (so-called ‘Scope 3 emissions’) constitute environmental effects of the extraction project and need to be assessed as part of the EIA of the extraction project.
The Environmental Moot Court module comprises three elements:
- A national moot in each country - this year our national moot was held in late April and the presiding judge was again UCD’s own (opens in a new window)Professor Suzanne Kingston, Judge of the EU General Court.
- A comparative session involving a discussion between all participating students/universities (by Zoom) - this was held in early May, and participating students from UCD presented the outcome of the Irish moot, followed by a discussion of the similarities and differences between the outcomes in the different countries.
- A trip to Brussels where we are hosted by DG Environment of the European Commission at their Breydel offices by Parc Cinquantenaire, where the outcomes of the national moots are presented by the students from each country, and an open discussion is held with the Commission, followed by lunch and afterwards a presentation by the Commission/Q&A regarding the Commission’s role in the development and enforcement of EU environmental law.
After our meeting with the Commission, we make the short walk to the European Parliament, where this year we were kindly hosted by the German MEP Christine Schneider. After a presentation and Q&A with MEP Schneider, we visited the Parliament’s grand ‘hemicycle’, where as luck would have it a string quartet was playing the European anthem, the Ode to Joy.
The day finished with an obligatory Belgian beer in the Parc de Bruxelles, followed by a group dinner in a traditional Belgian restaturant. With perfect timing, the EFTA Court gave its (opens in a new window)judgment in the Greenpeace Nordic v Norway (E-18/24) case the morning after our visit to Brussels. The outcome: the greenhouse gas emissions from end user burning of oil/gas must be assessed as part of the EIA for the extraction project (for any environmental law aficionados, the judgment is also interesting on Case C-72/12 Altrip – see from para 112!).
The Environmental Moot Court module is always a highlight of the MSc in Environmental and Climate Law programme at UCD, giving students the chance to develop their legal research, writing and advocacy skills. It’s also a great exercise in team-building, and a great cultural exchange for students and supervisors. Many thanks again to all the students involved for their hard work – also to colleagues and students from our partner universities in France, Germany and the Netherlands, and of course to our moot court judges!
If you would like any further information about the MSc in Environmental and Climate Law or about the Environmental Moot Court module, please contact Dr. Andrew Jackson: (opens in a new window)andrew.jackson@ucd.ie.
A selection of photos from this year’s trip and from the trips in 2024 and 2023:
20 May 2025: Meeting with DG Environment of the European Commission in ‘Breydel 2’.
20 May 2025: The European Parliament’s hemicycle in Brussels.
20 May 2025: Group photo at the European Parliament of students and supervisors from France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
20 May 2025: Some of the Irish contingent at the European Parliament.
3 June 2024: The class of 2024 meeting with the European Commission. This room is where the College of Commissioners used to meet when the Berlaymont building was being renovated in the 1990s and early 2000s.
3 June 2024: A group photo of the class of 2024 in the European Commission’s Breydel building, Brussels.
7 June 2023: A group photo of the class of 2023 in the Parc Cinquantenaire, Brussels.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin launches Dr Niamh Howlin’s book marking the 50th Anniversary of the Office of the DPP
(L to R) Dr Niamh Howlin, Taoiseach Micheál Martin , DPP Catherine Pierse and Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan
To mark 50 years since the establishment of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, a specially-commissioned book written by Dr Niamh Howlin was launched by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on 27 March 2025. Former DPPs Claire Loftus and James Hamilton, along with the family of the first DPP, Eamonn Barnes and current DPP Catherine Pierse, were joined by the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, Attorney General Rossa Fanning and current and former members of staff in the Office of the DPP.
Speaking at the event in Iveagh House, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Catherine Pierse, noted that the independent Office of the DPP was established 'to strengthen public confidence in the rule of law'. Dr Howlin emphasised the importance of reflecting on the past in order to deal with the present and plan for the future and the Taoiseach observed that 'in a time when well established and once respected legal, societal and international norms seem under siege from many quarters, the principles and instincts represented by this office and the people who inhabit it could not be more valuable, or more important to pay tribute to.'
(L to R) Head of Facilities Management Joe Mulligan; former Deputy DPP Barry Donoghue; DPP Catherine Pierse; former DPP James Hamilton; Dr Niamh Howlin; Dr Sean Smith; former DPP Claire Loftus; former Deputy DPP Michael Liddy
The Taoiseach remarked that Dr Howlin's book 'shines a light on the Office’s many challenges, milestones and ultimately its place at the heart of Ireland’s criminal justice system.' The project has also involved a collaboration between Dr Howlin, the Office of the DPP and the National Archives, Ireland, to digitise a number of key documents relating to the establishment and evolution of the Office of the DPP.
Niamh Howlin, A History of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (2025) is also available on open access (opens in a new window)here.
Book Launch: Bridging the Gender Pay Gap through Transparency
Dr Sara Benedí Lahuerta speaking at the book launch in MoLI
Our colleague, Dr Sara Benedí Lahuerta’s book: Bridging the Gender Pay Gap through Transparency: Comparative Approaches and Key Regulatory Conundrums (Edward Elgar, 2024) was recently launched in the Museum of Literature Ireland. Dr Benedí Lahuerta co-edited the book with Katharina Miller (Instituto de Empresa), and Professor Laura Carlson (Stockholm University).
The event brought together leading figures from academia, politics, and civil society to examine the potential—and limits—of pay transparency legislation to address gender-based pay inequality. The keynote address was delivered by Ivana Bacik TD, a key advocate for introducing pay transparency in Ireland. A panel discussion followed, featuring Prof. Mark Bell (facilitator), Adjunct Prof. Anthony Kerr SC, Assoc. Prof. Sara O’Sullivan, and Dr. Salome Mbugua. Attendees included several of the book authors, like Dr. Suzanne Carthy and Dr. Christine Aumayr-Pintar, and one of the foreword authors, Mr. Stefan Cross KC.
(L to R) Ivana Bacik TD, Dr. Salome Mbugua, Prof Sara O’Sullivan Prof Mark Bell, Adjunct Prof Anthony Kerr SC
Speakers explored the origins of pay transparency legislation in Ireland, the challenges of implementing meaningful reporting and enforcement mechanisms, and the potential and limitations of the 2023 EU Pay Transparency Directive. The discussion also highlighted the importance of addressing intersectional pay discrimination, particularly for migrant and racialised women.
The event was sponsored by the UCD Centre for Common Law in Europe and supported by the UCD Equality Studies Centre and the UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy.
John M Kelly lecture 2025 delivered by Professor Kim Scheppele of Princeton
L to R) Prof Laurent Pech, Prof Kim Scheppele, Mr Rossa Fanning SC (Attorney General) and Ms Justice Niamh Hyland (Court of Appeal)
UCD Sutherland School of Law was delighted to welcome Professor Kim Scheppele to deliver the 2025 John M Kelly Memorial Lecture in early April. Her lecture title was:
'Democracy in Danger: The Global Challenge of Autocratic Legalism'.
This lecture is the most prestigious event in the Sutherland School of Law’s calendar and we were especially pleased that Professor Scheppele chose such a topical and highly relevant theme for the 2025 lecture.
Professor Scheppele is a highly regarded authority on the subject of subject of constitutional law and is widely published in the area. She is the Laurance S Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs and Director of the Program in Law and Normative Thinking at the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. Professor Scheppele's work focuses on the intersection of constitutional and transnational law, particularly in constitutional systems under stress.
In front of a large audience of distinguished guests, alumni, staff and students, Professor Scheppele delivered a fascinating lecture where she discussed worldwide threats to democracy. She showed how democracy has come under attack around the world, and took the audience through what she calls the “autocratic legalistic playbook” to demonstrate how entrenched law can prevent the restoration of democracy. She argued that we need a new approach to thinking about the rule of law in order to escape from the autocratic trap, one that sets the restoration of democracy rather than the blind adherence to legality as the normative standard. She posited that while countries like Poland, Brazil, Ecuador and briefly the United States found some respite from the autocratic slide through elections that restored rule-of-law governments to power, none of the countries that has experienced a serious autocratic episode has been able to fully recover, precisely because the aspirational autocrats have engaged in legal entrenchment. Her thought-provoking lecture attracted a wide audience and gave rise to extensive discussion at the reception which followed.
The Chief Justice, Mr Justice Donal O’Donnell and the Attorney General, Mr Rossa Fanning SC
The Chief Justice, Mr Justice Donal O’Donnell, an alumnus of the school, introduced Professor Scheppele. The Chief Justice is a former student of John Kelly’s from UCD and also delivered a lecture in the series in 2016. Professor Laurent Pech, Dean of Law began the evening’s proceedings by welcoming the Chief Justice, the Kelly Family and the audience in attendance.
The audience of academics, students, practitioners and members of the judiciary included members of Professor John M Kelly’s family. Guests at the lecture included the Registrar and Deputy President of UCD, Prof Colin Scott and many notable alumni including the Attorney General, Mr Rossa Fanning. The lecture honours the memory of Professor Kelly, (1931-1991) who was Professor of Jurisprudence and editor of the Irish Jurist as well as a government minister and Attorney General.
A recording of the Professor Scheppele's John M Kelly Lecture 2025 can be viewed (opens in a new window)at this link.
(L to R) Prof Colin Scott, Prof Niamh Moore Cherry, Prof Scheppele and Prof Laurent Pech
(L to R) Mr Justice Donald Binchy (Court of Appeal), (lecture guest), Nick Kelly and Prof Oonagh Breen
(L to R) Prof Imelda Maher, Judge Patrick McCarthy with Prof Colin Scott
Guest lecture by EU Commissioner Mr Michael McGrath
(L to R President of UCD, Prof Orla Feely, Commissioner Michael McGrath, Dean of Law, Prof Laurent Pech, Principal of the College of Social Sciences & Law, Prof Niamh Moore Cherry)
The UCD Sutherland School of Law had the privilege of welcoming Mr Michael McGrath, the EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the rule of law and consumer protection in the second von der Leyen Commission. Commissioner McGrath’s guest lecture focused on the European Commission’s role in upholding the rule of law.
In his introduction, Professor Laurent Pech Dean of Law and Head of the UCD Sutherland School of Law, recalled that in his new capacity, Commissioner McGrath’s is responsible for inter alia upholding and strengthening the core values and principles that underpin the EU. He further noted that Commissioner McGrath has inherited some of the EU’s most difficult files, from democratic and rule of law backsliding to the enforcement of crucial pieces of EU legislation such as the EU’s Digital Market Act in a broader context where national and international actors, public but also private, are engaged in increasingly open and defiant non-compliance with their EU and international law obligations.
In his lecture, Commissioner McGrath detailed the development of the EU’s rule of law toolbox over the past decade and highlighted how the European Commission has addressed rule of law backsliding at Member State level via legal and financial means.
Addressing a packed audience consisting of students and faculty, Commissioner McGrath said “It is an honour to speak at the esteemed UCD Sutherland School of Law, addressing the next generation of solicitors, barristers, prosecutors, government officials, and judges - both for Ireland and for Europe. The rule of law is the bedrock of our Union, ensuring that democracy, justice, and fundamental rights are upheld in every Member State. I am confident that the young people I met with today, will fulfil their role as future guardians of justice and that they will uphold the EU‘s common values. I wish them every success in their future endeavours.”
Professor Ian O'Donnell wins prestigious international book award
Professor Ian O’Donnell’s latest book, Prison Life: Pain, Resistance, and Purpose, published by New York University Press, has won the 2025 Outstanding Book Award given by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences International Section. Last year it won the Outstanding Book Award given by the American Society of Criminology’s Division of International Criminology.
The award was presented at the Academy’s annual conference in Denver on 13 March.
Prison Life offers a fresh appreciation of how people in prison organize their lives, drawing on case studies from Africa, Europe and the US. The book describes how order is maintained, how power is exercised, how days are spent, and how meaning is found in a variety of environments that all have the same function – incarceration – but discharge it very differently. It is based on an unusually diverse range of sources including photographs, drawings, court cases, official reports, memoirs, and site visits.
The book was the subject of a symposium in (opens in a new window)The Prison Journal and an author-meets-critic review in (opens in a new window)Incarceration. It has been widely and enthusiastically reviewed. According to International Criminology: "The book is written beautifully, with compassion and piercing insight”. The International Criminal Justice Review described it as: “One of the best books on prison life I have ever read … an outstanding contribution to the cumulative knowledge on prison social order … a powerful and touching narrative … beautifully written … monumental research." For the British Journal of Criminology it “illustrates the centrality of human stories to the study of prisons ... detailed, vivid and often surprising”. The Irish Jurist described Professor O’Donnell as “internationally recognised as one of the finest European criminologists of his generation” and Prison Life as “a really interesting book written by a scholar at the top of his game”.
Prison Life is available in paperback and as an e-book from all of the usual outlets.
In addition to his scholarly work, Professor O'Donnell continues to contribute to the national debate about penal policy See his recent opinion piece in (opens in a new window)The Irish Times.