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!