CCLE hosted Professor Neil H Buchanan as a Sutherland Fellow
In October 2024, the CCLE hosted Professor Neil H Buchanan as a Sutherland Fellow in UCD. Professor Buchanan is both an economist and lawyer, with a PhD in economics from Harvard University and a PhD in law from Monash University. These interests coalesce in the areas of intergenerational justice, and taxation and welfare, where he has written extensively.
During his visit to UCD, Professor Buchanan gave very generously of his time to faculty and students: delivering a staff seminar entitled Ownership, Myths, and the Legitimacy of Law; a class to students in the legal ethics module, taught by Dr Emer Hunt, on the question of what we owe future generations, taking the environment and democratic government as exemplars; and a stimulating ‘brown bag lunch’ talk to the CCLE on the forthcoming US Presidential election and the procedures relating to the electoral college under the 12th Amendment.
From left to right, Professor Buchanan is pictured with, left to right, Dr Christie Nicoson, postdoctoral researcher in [link to Ashling Swaine’s research project], Patryk Bartkiewicz, UCD law student, Professor Neil H Buchanan, Sutherland Fellow, Dr Emer Hunt, Deputy Director of CCLE and Suzanne d’Arcy, research manager.
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill
On December 14th 2023, UCD CCLE co-organised workshop with Warwick Law School and the Centre for Commercial Law and Financial Regulation (CCLFR)University of Reading on the UK “Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill” at University of Reading. This event forms part of the BLREG legacy workstream.
Law Workshop The Digital Markets Competition and Consumer Bill brochure
Modern Studies in Commercial Law
Modern Studies in Commercial Law is a research platform co-created by UCD CCLE in partnership with Centre for Commercial Law and Financial Regulation (Reading) and Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (Swansea). Its aim is to assist commercial lawyers disseminate the findings of projects, scholarly views and academic outputs. Its purpose is to bring together scholars, practitioners and policymakers in order to develop an interdisciplinary approach in broad areas of commercial law and, thereby, stimulate debate over the recent legal and regulatory developments in the field. It is hosted at (opens in a new window)https://research.reading.ac.uk/commercial-law/
Attorney General Lecture
On February 28th, at the invitation of the UCD Centre for the Common Law in Europe's Deputy Director ( Dr Emer Hunt), the Attorney General, Mr Rossa Fanning, in his capacity as Adjunct Professor delivered a lecture to our students. Dr Mary Catherine Lucey, Director of the Common Law in Europe, introduced the Attorney General to the students of Economic Law of the EU, noting that his lecture was an excellent opportunity to gain a broad insight into Ireland's position in the EU. His rousing lecture covered decades of Ireland's membership of the Union and, among other issues, considered Ireland's obligations under EU law. His talk aligned with the Centre's educational mandate to provide insights into Ireland's relationship with the EU. The lecture was also attended by Professor Dagmar Schiek, Full Professor of EU law and labour law.
Judge Patricia Lucas audited and participated in the undergraduate module Lawyers, Legal Ethics and Practice
Trimester one 2023/24 Judge Patricia Lucas audited and participated in the undergraduate module Lawyers, Legal Ethics and Practice (LAW30700). This team teaching of students proved to be a very valuable model for students. On October 5th 2023, Judge Patricia Lucas delivered a seminar to invited staff and students on noteworthy aspects of judicial institutions in the US. This event forms part of UCD CCLE workstream on Courts and Judges.
Court of Appeal Workshop
Dr Mark Coen and Dr Noel McGrath coordinated a two-day workshop on the Court of Appeal of Ireland on Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th May 2023. Fifteen papers were delivered over two days by distinguished scholars from Ireland and other jurisdictions. The workshop is a key aspect of a project examining the first ten years of the Court of Appeal, which was established following a constitutional referendum in 2014. The project is located in the Centre for the Common Law in Europe (CCLE) in the Sutherland School of Law.
Annotated Database of Court of Appeal decisions
The SSoL Research Competition awarded funding to the CCLE under the Research Group strand to support the creation of an annotated database of Court of Appeal decisions since the establishment of the Court in 2014. The successful application was submitted by Dr Mark Coen and Dr Noel McGrath. The funding helped to finance hiring a graduate of the Business and Law programme. The project yielded a very comprehensive dataset that is available to share with those who will contribute chapters to an edited collection marking 10 years of the Court.
UCD CCCLE won funding under the Decade of Centenaries Internal Award Scheme
UCD CCCLE won funding under the Decade of Centenaries Internal Award Scheme 2021 for its research project entitled “A Centenary of Diverging Common Law in Ireland”
“Judges in Ireland and France: Different Routes to Performing Similar Functions in the EU”
Judge Sylvaine Poillot Peruzzetto: Cour de Cassation
In November 2021, Judge Sylvaine Poillot Peruzzetto, at the invitation of the UCD CCLE, delivered a stimulating seminar in UCD SSol which compared the roles of judges in an EU common law system (Ireland) with those in an EU civil law system (France). Her aim was to highlight some apparent differences and some common characteristics as the judges function within the EU legal system.
Her talk traced the pathways to becoming a judge in France and in Ireland. It also shone light on how the judges operate or perform within the French and Irish legal architecture and, inter alia, contrasted their respective approaches to crafting judgments. It emphasised their common responsibility in terms of their duties as judges within the EU legal system. Noting their duties in respect of the rule of law (in particular, in relation to fundamental rights) she focussed on the imperative of judicial independence.
FitzPatrick Foundation Funding awarded to UCD CCLE
Following a competitive process, UCD CCLE won funding from the FitzPatrick Foundation for a ground-breaking project entitled “Gender Critique of the Public Enforcement of Competition Law.”
Gender and competition law is a nascent topic. UCD CCLE’s project surveys the public enforcement of competition law in selected European jurisdictions from a gender perspective. The gender focus shines attention on the extent and nature of competition law enforcement in markets which are especially significant for one gender.
Irish European Law Forum
The Centre for Common Law in Europe succeeded in its bid to secure funding to host the 24th session of the IELF. The chosen theme is Empowering Consumers: Reconciling EU Law and the Common Law which aligns with UCD’s interest in ‘Empowering Humanity’. The conference pursues the ambition of publishing original research.
The traditional format has been reframed as a one week long series of webinar sessions of 90 mins (starting at either 8.30am or 12.30) to facilitate greater participation, especially from those located abroad than is achievable in a face to face one day event.
Each session critically examines how consumers fare under selected areas of EU law and common law including contract law, competition law, digital law, privacy law and consumer Law. Debate is anticipated on matters such as i) reconciling traditional common law concepts (for example, good faith /reasonableness) with EU concepts and ii) Europeanisation versus national diversity.
Another notable feature is the post-session “coffee and chat” intended for SSoL post- graduate students display their posters on their research.
Book Launch: Essays in Memory of Professor Jill Poole
Book Launch in Aston University 2017
In 2017, the then Director of Centre for Common Law in Europe Professor James Devenney invited some SSoL colleagues to contribute to a collection of essays in memory of Professor Jill Poole. The collection which he edited (with Prof Rob Merkin) was launched in October 2018 in Aston Law School.
The Book was titled - “Essays in Memory of Professor Jill Poole
Coherence, Modernisation and Integration in Contract, Commercial and Corporate Laws”
Please find a link to the book (opens in a new window)here.
Intra-EU Common Law Network
Prospectively, it is intended to create institutional synergies by establishing a network for intensive research collaboration amongst scholars located in the three EU common law jurisdictions.
The step towards that ambition took place on November 27th 2020 when the Director (Mary Catherine Lucey) and Deputy Director (Bernd Justin Jütte) met academics representing the University of Cyprus. The meeting explored potential avenues for research cooperation between these institutions. The Centre for Common Law in Europe proposed a series of online seminars which interrogate common research issues which are of significance in EU common law jurisdictions. It is planned to host a similar meeting with representatives from Malta in December.
ELI - Irish Hub
Mr. Justice McKechnie, Professor Maher, Professor Philippe, Mr. Justice Gilligan and Lord Justice John Thomas
In May 2019, a prestigious seminar- “New Directions for the Irish Legal System after Brexit?” was held in the School as the Irish Hub of the European Law Institute (ELI). Founded in June 2011 and based in Vienna as an entirely independent organisation, the ELI aims to improve the quality of European law, understood in the broadest sense. It seeks to initiate, conduct and facilitate research, to make recommendations, and to provide practical guidance in the field of European legal development. The seminar was hosted by Dean of Law, Professor Imelda Maher together with Mr Justice William McKechnie of the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan and Mr Paul Keane, Managing Partner of Charlton Reddy Solicitors. The highly distinguished speakers included Advocate General Gerard Hogan of the Court of Justice of the European Union, Lord Justice John Thomas (Former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales) and Mr Justice William McKechnie.
The UCD Centre For Common Law in Europe intends to continue as the Irish Hub of the ELI.
Over 450 attend Society of Legal Scholars Conference in Sutherland School of Law, 2015
At the SLS Conference, The Right Hon. Lord Mance, (speaking) was part of a distinguished panel that included The Hon. Lady Wolfe, The Hon. Ms Justice O’Malley, The Right Hon. Sir Morgan and was chaired by the Hon. Mr Justice O’Donnell.
Four Events: One Week
For the first time in its 108 years, the Society of Legal Scholars (SLS) Annual Conference took place outside of the UK in 2017 on the theme The Diverse Unities of Law. The UCD Sutherland School of Law was honoured to welcome this renowned legal conference to Dublin. Professor Imelda Maher, now Dean of Law and President of the Society 2016-2017 was responsible for this prestigious conference ably supported by a team a colleagues and enthusiastic student volunteers. The Conference attracted over 470 delegates in early September who presented over 300 papers in 28 subject sections The main conference dinner was in the magnificent setting of The Honorable Society of King’s Inns, with UCD alumnus Professor Conor Gearty London School of Economics as guest speaker
Highlights of the SLS Conference in Dublin were three plenaries with distinguished panelists that included legal scholars and members of the judiciary of the UK and Ireland. For the opening plenary ‘The Diverse Unities of the Common Law’ the conference was especially honoured to welcome Baroness Brenda Hale of Richmond (new President of The UK Supreme Court) as chair of the panel with Professor Ambreen Manji (Cardiff University), Associate Professor Kevin Costello (UCD), Professor Peter Cane (ANU and Cambridge University). At later panel on the theme of the conference the Society and the School were greatly honoured to welcome distinguished members of the judiciary from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Hon. Mr. Justice Donal O’Donnell (Supreme Court of Ireland) chaired the panel with The Right Hon. Lord Mance (UK Supreme Court), y The Rt. Hon. Sir Declan Morgan (Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland), The Hon. Ms. Justice Iseult O’Malley (Supreme Court of Ireland) and The Hon. Lady Wolffe (Senator of the College of Justice, Scotland). The Society and School were delighted to welcome The Hon Mr Justice Frank Clarke, the new Chief Justice of Ireland who chaired a session in the environmental law section.
UCD College of Social Sciences and Law Principal, Prof Colin Scott (centre) chaired a plenary panel at the SLS Conference which included (from left), Prof Carol Tan, SOAS, Prof Toni Williams University of Kent,, Prof Anne Davies, University of Oxford and Prof Carly Stychin, City Law School, London.
‘Leadership and Diversity in Law Schools’ was discussed in a panel of Heads of Schools (Professor Toni Williams (Kent), Professor Anne Davies (Oxford), Professor Carol Tan (SOAS), Professor Carl Stychin (City), and chaired by the UCD Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Professor Colin Scott.).
The location of the conference in Ireland was the inspiration for one of the seminars which focused on the contribution of the Irish Diaspora to Legal Scholarship. Panelists included Professor Liz Campbell (Durham University), Dr. Donal Coffey (Max Planck Institute, Frankfurt); Associate Professor Aileen Kavanagh (Oxford University); Dr Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou (Liverpool). This seminar was chaired by Professor Imelda Maher, President of the SLS and Dean of Law in UCD.
On the final afternoon of the conference, a Joint Seminar of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns, The Society of Legal Scholars and UCD Sutherland School of Law discussed ‘The Common Law and Brexit: A New Frontier?. The panel consisting of Mr. Conleth Bradley SC; Dr. Catherine Donnelly BL; Ms. Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC (UCD law alumnus of the year 2017); Mr. Paul Gallagher SC Professor was chaired by Prof Conor Gearty.
A joint seminar between the British Association of Comparative Law and the Irish Society of Comparative Law, organized with support from Dr. Marie-Luce Paris, was held before the SLS conference on ‘Comparing UK and Irish law: A Special Relationship?’ Outcomes of the seminar are available at this (opens in a new window)link.
On the first day, the annual SLS graduate conference was organized by a team of UCD PhD Law students led by Dr Andrew Jackson, bringing together those PhD students who were successful in the highly competitive call for papers.
The (opens in a new window)109th Annual Conference of the Society in 2018 will be held at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).