Over 150 international lawyers and diplomats attended the 37th Annual Oceans Law and Policy Conference, which took place in Seoul, from 1-4 May 2013. This year’s conference reviewed a broad range of contemporary issues concerning global challenges and the freedom of navigation including maritime boundaries in the China Sea, recent developments in EU law, petroleum law, energy security, piracy, transnational threats to international peace and stability, the Arctic Ocean, marine environmental protection, as well as scientific research.The Center for Oceans Law and Policy at the University of Virginia and the Korean Maritime Institute were the primary organisers with additional support from the School of Law, NUI Galway, the Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore, and the South China Sea Institute at Xiamen University.Conference photos can be found on Picasa. Conference proceedings will be published by Nijhoff and distributed worldwide. ‌ Pictured above is Professor Long presenting a paper at the 2013 Conference.

Graduate students in the Law School at NUI Galway held a conference on the theme of “Law, Technology and Governance” on 27 May where this year's LL.M. in Law, Technology and Governance class presented their thesis for discussion and feedback. Amongst the topics discussed were electronic commerce, Internet piracy, privacy online, Internet gambling and stem cell research. Pictured above are staff and students at the Law, Technology and Governance conference.

The LL.M in Public Law programme at the School of Law, NUI Galway, hosted the 5th Annual Conference of the Irish Society of Comparative Law on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th of May 2013.  Over 50 legal academics and practitioners from Ireland, other European countries, the U.S., Uganda, Japan and China presented papers at the Conference on the overarching theme of comparative public law.  Topics presented at the conference ranged from ‘children in rainbow families’ to ‘equality in healthcare’, ‘cyberbullying’, ‘money laundering’ and the question of ‘constitutional rights for human-animal hybrids and chimeras’. Professor Brice Dickson from Queens University Belfast presented a keynote paper entitled ‘The Irish Supreme Court in Comparative Perspective’ to which former Supreme Court Judge, the Hon Mrs Catherine McGuinness, who is an Adjunct Professor of Law at NUI Galway, gave an energetic response on the jurisprudence and workings of the Supreme Court and the need for reform.  The other keynote speaker was Professor Susan Farran of the University of Northumbria who presented a paper entitled ‘The age of Empire. Again: critical thoughts on legal imperialism’. Pictured above is the NUI Galway ISCL annual conference organisation committee, the the ISCL Committee and the President of NUI Galway, Dr. Jim Browne.

Professor Donncha O’Connell took up office today as Head of the School of Law at NUI Galway having recently been appointed to an Established Chair in Law. He served a term as Dean of Law from 2005-2008 after which he spent a year as a Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE). He is also a part-time Commissioner of the Law Reform Commission, a member of the Legal Aid Board and editor of the Irish Human Rights Law Review. P...rofessor O’Connell teaches Constitutional Law and European Human Rights to undergraduate students. He also teaches two postgraduate courses: Advocacy, Activism & Public Interest Law and Processes of Law Reform. He has extensive experience in human rights activism having served in the past as the first full-time Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) and as a board member of Amnesty International – Ireland, the Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC), the Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA) and INTERIGHTS. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Druid Theatre Company and a trustee of Counterpoint Arts. Originally from Swinford, Co. Mayo, Professor O’Connell was educated at NUIG (UCG), The Honorable Society of the King’s Inns and Edinburgh University.

Judge Catherine McGuinness was appointed today as Chair of NUI Galway's Údarás na hOllscoile (Governing Authority). Údarás na hOllscoile, the University's Governing Authority, is responsible for managing and controlling all of the affairs of the University. Catherine McGuinness is a retired Supreme Court judge, former senator and lifelong activist. In January 2012 she was appointed to the Council of State by President Michael D. Higgins. Judge McGuinness was called to the Bar in 1977 and to the Inner Bar in 1989. She was a member of Seanad Éireann from 1979-82 and was previously a member of the Council of State from 1988-90. She served as a Judge of the Circuit Court from 1994-1996; of the High Court from 1996-2000; and of the Supreme Court from 2000-2006. From 2005-2011 she was President of the Law Reform Commission. She is currently Adjunct Professor of Law at NUI Galway. In addition to her judicial career, Catherine McGuinness has served on the Employment Equality Agency, the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation and the Irish Universities Quality Board. In June 2011 she became patron of the Irish Refugee Council and in November 2011 she was appointed Chairperson of the "Campaign for Children". She has also just completed her role as personal representative to the Minister for Foreign Affairs through Ireland’s Chairmanship of the OSCE during 2012 in the field of Human Rights and on the Freedom of Religion. Speaking of the appointment, Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway said: "Judge Catherine McGuinness brings a unique breadth of experience and judgement to the role of Chairperson of Údarás na hOllscoile. We are delighted and privileged that she will chair the University's Governing Authority for the next three years.  My colleagues and I look forward to working with her to further develop NUI Galway and our ambitious plans for the future.” Judge McGuinness commented from NUI Galway on her appointment: “I am hugely honoured to be appointed as Chair of the Governing Authority. I have many connections with Galway, even apart from being Adjunct Professor at the School of Law here at NUI Galway, and am delighted to be able to strengthen these connections and I hope over the next few years  to help the University in achieving its mission.” Judge McGuinness’s term of office extends to 2016. ENDS ____________________ An Breitheamh McGuinness Ceaptha ina Cathaoirleach ar Údarás na hOllscoile in OÉ Gaillimh Ceapadh an Breitheamh Catherine McGuinness inniu ina Cathaoirleach ar Údarás na hOllscoile in OÉ Gaillimh. Tá Údarás na hOllscoile freagrach as gnóthaí uile na hOllscoile a bhainistiú agus a rialú. Is breitheamh ar scor ón gCúirt Uachtarach í Catherine McGuinness, is iarsheanadóir í freisin agus tá sí ina gníomhaíoch i rith a saoil. In Eanáir 2012, cheap an tUachtarán Micheál D. Ó hUiginn ar an gComhairle Stáit í. Glaodh ar an mBreitheamh McGuinness chun an Bharra i 1977 agus chun Barra na Sinsear i 1989. Bhí sí ina comhalta de Sheanad Éireann ó 1979-82 agus roimhe seo chomh maith bhí sí ina comhalta den Chomhairle Stáit ó 1988-90. Bhí sí ina breitheamh sa Chúirt Chuarda ó 1994-1996; san Ardchúirt ó 1996-2000; agus sa Chúirt Uachtarach ó 2000-2006. Ó 2005-2011, bhí sí ina hUachtarán ar an gCoimisiún um Athchóiriú an Dlí. Tá sí ina hOllamh Cúnta le Dlí in OÉ Gaillimh faoi láthair. Sa bhreis ar a gairm mar bhreitheamh, tá sealanna caite ag Catherine McGuinness leis an nGníomhaireacht um Chomhionannas Fostaíochta, an Fóram um Shíocháin agus Athmhuintearas agus Bord Feabhais Ollscoileanna na hÉireann. I Meitheamh na bliana 2011, ceapadh í ina pátrún ar Chomhairle Dídeanaithe na hÉireann agus i mí na Samhna 2011, ceapadh í ina Cathaoirleach ar "Campaign for Children". Tá sí díreach tar éis a seal a chur isteach mar ionadaí pearsanta ag an Aire Gnóthaí Eachtracha i rith Chathaoirleacht na hÉireann ar Eagraíocht na Náisiún Aontaithe um Shlándáil agus Chomhoibriú san Eoraip (OSCE) in 2012 i réimse na gCeart Daonna agus na Saoirse Creidimh. Ag labhairt dó faoin gceapachán, dúirt an Dr Jim Browne, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh: “Tugann an Breitheamh Catherine McGuinness taithí agus breithiúnas ar leith chuig an ról mar Chathaoirleach ar Údarás na hOllscoile. Is mór an phribhléid agus an t-údar bróid dúinn go mbeidh sí ina cathaoirleach ar Údarás na hOllscoile sna trí bliana seo romhainn.  Táim féin agus mo chomhghleacaithe ag súil go mór le bheith ag obair léi chun OÉ Gaillimh agus ár bpleananna uaillmhianacha don todhchaí a bhrú chun cinn.” Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag an mBreitheamh McGuinness in OÉ Gaillimh faoina ceapachán: “Is mór an onóir dom a bheith ceaptha mar Chathaoirleach ar Údarás na hOllscoile. Is iomaí sin nasc atá agam le Gaillimh, seachas a bheith i m’Ollamh Cúnta i Scoil an Dlí in OÉ Gaillimh, agus is mór agam a bheith in ann na naisc sin a threisiú agus táim ag súil go mbeidh mé in ann cabhrú leis an Ollscoil a misean a bhaint amach as seo go ceann cúpla bliain.” Mairfidh téarma oifige an Bhreithimh McGuinness go dtí 2016. -Críoch

The School of Law, NUI Galway and the Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA) hosted a conference entitled, "Developing Clinical Legal Education in Ireland" on Friday 26th & Saturday 27th April 2013. The conference served as the launch of the newly-formed Irish Clinical Legal Education Association (ICLEA). The Irish Clinical Legal Education Association will seek to enhance and expand clinical legal education programmes in law schools in Ireland by providing a forum to share experiences and foster collaboration; by lobbying collectively for necessary resources; and by ensuring optimum international engagement with clinical legal educators in other jurisdictions.This conference brought together experienced and emerging clinical legal practitioners, academics, clinical partners (e.g., NGOs, solicitors, barristers, state/quasi-state bodies) and students to explore the emergence and assess the future potential of clinical legal education in Ireland. Larry Donnelly, Lecturer and Director of Clinical Legal Education in the School of Law, NUI Galway, was elected the first President of the Irish Clinical Legal Education Association (ICLEA). He wrote a piece for the Irish Times on 6 May on the conference.

The School of Law is delighted that our students excelled at the 12th International Academy of Dispute Resolution (INADR) Annual International Law School Mediation Tournament which was held this year in Dublin by the Law Society of Ireland. The performance of the NUIG teams of (T1) Tamara Cassidy, Karolyn Place & Kieran Touhy and (T2) Cassie Roddy, Tatiana Kelly & Eoghan Clogher contributed to NUIG being awarded “Outstanding New Mediation Program”. On an individual level, Karolyn Place (3rd BCL) finished 10th overall in the “Individual Mediator Awards” and Cassie Roddy (3rd LLB) & Tatiana Kelly (3rd LLB) finished joint 5th in the “Individual Advocate/Client Awards”. They are to be commended for these achievements. As this was an INADR Tournament the USA Law Schools had to qualify to attend the Dublin final, so we were competing against the best of the best. The tournament involved law schools from North America (Cornell, Fordham, Chapman, Loyola (Chicago), Northeastern, John Marshall, Tulane, Michigan State & Saskatchewan to name a few), Australia (Murdoch Uni.), India (Bhopal, Deli & National Law School of India), Europe (John Moores, Kent & Winchester (England), IPLS & Strathclyde (Scotland), Augsburg & Ludwig- Maximilians (Germany). The tournament comprised 36 teams of three, totalling 108 competitors.   

On Friday 8 March, the LL.M. in Public Law and LL.M. in Law, Technology and Governance convened a symposium on “Privacy from Birth to Death and Beyond: European and American Perspectives”.Speakers included Mr. José María Baño, Instituto de Empresa and José María Baño León Abogados, Madrid; Professor Joshua Fairfield of the Washington and Lee University Law School; Dr. Sharon McLaughlin, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Mr. Paul Lambert, Merrion Legal Solicitors and Mr. Damien McCallig, School of Law, NUI Galway. The event attracted almost 100 people, including undergraduate and postgraduate students from NUI Galway and elsewhere, staff from across the university and practising lawyers, journalists and others with an interest in the impact of new technologies on privacy in the information age. Discussion ranged from whether we have a “right to be forgotten” online, the role of contract law in protecting consumer privacy, the confused rules that govern post-mortem privacy, how to balance the participation and protection of children in the online world and the challenges that face practitioners who have to rely on case law and legislation that were developed without the digital environment in mind. The symposium was a fascinating and provocative exploration of an issue that has gone from a minority concern to headline news in a few short years, and has changed dramatically even over the past twelve months. The SCRIPTed Journal of Law, Technology & Society posted a report on the symposium as part of a special issue on post-mortem privacy.

The Moot Court Module final took place last Saturday in Galway Courthouse. The victorious Team of Trevor Glavey and Simona Siskauskaite narrowly overcame Tatiana Kelly and Feidhlim Seoige in a thrilling final moot which exhibited everything that is positive about mooting. The School would like to thank the three judges for their time and effort: Justice Mathilda Twomey (Court of Appeals, Seychelles), Justice Rory MacCabe (Circuit Court) and Judge Mary Larkin (District Court). Special tribute to all sixteen mooters for their application, effort and enthusiasm over the last three months which culminated in some fantastic mooting and to the staff who so generously gave of their time; in particular Ursula Ni Chonghaile for drafting the interesting Moot fact pattern, Tom O’Malley, John Countryman (visiting Fulbright Scholar) and Conor Hanly for giving guest lectures and Rónán Kennedy who was kind enough to address the Class and give them critical feedback in relation to their draft submissions.The team mentors were Donncha O’Connell, Charles O’Mahony, Nicola Murphy, Dr. Noelle Higgins, Dr. Tom Hickey, Thomas Mc Donagh, Dr. Joe McGrath and Dr. Laurent Pech, with Laurent’s team emerging victorious.

The School of Law are delighted to announce that Mahmoud Abukhadir (2nd. B. Corporate Law) was the overall winner of the A & L Goodbody Bold Ideas Award 2012 – Law Student Competition. His submission on the topic “The business of law in a connected world”  impressed a judging panel made up of Michael McDowell, Senior Counsel and former Attorney General); Cliodhna O'Sullivan, Head of Legal in Telefónica Ireland and John Whelan, A&L Goodbody Partner. This prestigious award includes an internship in one of A&L Goodbody's offices in Dublin, London or New York and a cash prize of €3,000. More details are available here: http://www.algoodbody.ie/boldideasaward

Dr. Ronán Long delivered a paper on dispute settlement and moderated a session at the United Nations – Nippon Foundation Fellowship Programme meeting, which was hosted by the Legal Affairs Division at the United Nations on December 10-12, 2012. The meeting built upon similar capacity building initiatives undertaken previously in Nairobi and Tokyo and coincided with the United Nations General Assembly commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of the opening for signature of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.  The School of Law has collaborated with the UN since the inception of the programme by hosting mid-career legal professionals from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Guatemala.  In his address to the General Assembly, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon noted the commitment of the UN to the future growth of capacity building programmes over the coming decade including those hosted by universities in partnership with the Division on Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea at the UN.