The Centre currently has five permanent full-time faculty, comprised of two Professors and three lecturers, four additional lecturers who serve in an adjunct or visiting capacity, six doctoral fellows, two post-doctoral fellows and three administrative assistants. Whilst the Centre is autonomous in both its physical location and day-to-day operations, its academic staff are members of the School of Law at the National University of Ireland, Galway, with whom the Centre is linked and maintains a close and cooperative working relationship. 

A brochure of the programmes offered at the Irish Centre of Human Rights is available here

professor william schabas receives gold medal from the royal irish academy

     Professor Schabas and his wife Penelope

Minister Ruairi Quinn, T.D., recently presented the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) Gold Medals to the international human rights scholar Professor William Schabas and engineer Professor John O’Scanlan in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Social Sciences and the Engineering Sciences.

The RIA Medals acclaim Ireland’s foremost contributors to the world of learning and science. The Gold Medals are awarded to two outstanding academics each year and are recognised as a truly national expression of celebration for scholarly achievement. The medals are sponsored by The Higher Education Authority and  The Irish Independent.

Professor William Schabas, Chairman of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway, is one of the leading scholars in the field of international criminal law. His work is closely linked with a range of international judicial institutions including, the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone and the International Criminal Court (ICC). His writings are regularly cited by international courts and tribunals, including the ICC and the European Court of Human Rights. Professor Schabas’ seminal book on the  Genocide Convention was cited in the opinions of the ICC in the 2007  Bosnia v. Serbia judgement and clearly influenced the thinking of the court as a whole.

Welcoming this award NUI Galway President Dr Jim Browne said: “On behalf of NUI Galway, I extend warmest congratulations to our colleague, Professor Schabas on receiving this wonderful distinction from the RIA.  This accolade will undoubtedly add lustre to his international academic standing, as well as underscore this University’s reputation as a centre of world-class research and teaching.”