BULLETIN VOL 12, ISSUE 1
JANUARY 2013
N U I G A LWAY AP P OI N T S MI C H A EL O ’F LA H ER T Y
AS PROFESSOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS
T
he renowned UN human rights expert, Professor Michael
O’Flaherty FRSA, has been appointed as Professor of Human Rights Law at the National University of Ireland Galway.
He will also serve as Director of the University’s Irish Centre for
Human Rights. Professor O’Flaherty will combine the new roles
with his current commitment as Chief Commissioner of the
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. During the period
that Professor O’Flaherty remains at the Northern Ireland Commission, the Irish Centre for Human Rights will be co-directed
by Professor Ray Murphy. Professor O’Flaherty has been Chief
Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission since October 2011. Professor O’Flaherty has worked the
UK university sector since 2003 as Professor of Applied Human Rights and Co-Director of the Human Rights Law Centre
at the School of Law in University of Nottingham.
Dr. Jim Browne, President of National University of Ireland,
Galway, welcomed the announcement: “Professor O’Flaherty
brings an outstanding reputation to our School of Law and
Irish Centre for Human Rights. Building on the strong foundations laid by his predecessor, Professor Bill Schabas, who retains an important connection with the Centre, Professor O’Flaherty will continue to develop the global reputation of the Centre for high quality academic programmes, leading edge research and engaged advocacy. Professor O’Flaherty brings a
unique blend of academic skills and practical knowledge of
human rights law which will enrich the teaching, research and
outreach activities of the Centre.”
A native of Galway, Professor O’Flaherty has a distinguished reputation in the human rights arena. Since 2004, he
has been an elected member and a Vice-Chairperson of the
United Nations Human Rights Committee. He is also a member
of the UN Expert Group on Human Rights Indicators, serves on
a number of human rights advisory bodies of the UK government and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Professor
O’Flaherty sits on committees of the European Roma Rights
Centre, the Diplomacy Training Programme, the UN-UK Association, the World Organization Against Torture, the Hilde Back
Education Fund and a number of other groups worldwide.
Prior to taking up his posts at the University of Nottingham,
he served in a number of senior positions with the United Nations. He established the UN human rights field missions in
Bosnia and Herzegovina (1994) and Sierra Leone (1998) and
subsequently guided UN headquarters support to its human
rights programmes across the Asia-Pacific region.
Professor Michael O’Flaherty
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
22ND EU-CHINA SEMINAR
2
MARY ROBINSON & FINTAN O’TOOLE
2
PARENTING IN DIRECT PROVISION
3
HUMAN RIGHTS IN PRACTICE
3
THE ICC & DOMESTIC COURTS
3
REPORTING FROM THE FRONT LINE
4
LUNCHTIME SEMINARS
4
LLM TRIP TO CURRAGH ARMY BARRACKS
5
PROF RAY MURPHY: EGYPT & LIBYA
6
DR KATHLEEN CAVANAUGH: RESEARCH MISSION TO GAZA
6
REFUGEE STATUS DETERMINATION IN TURKEY: PETER FITZMAURICE
6
UPCOMING EVENTS
7
BULLETIN VOL 12, ISSUE 1
Page 2
22ND EU-CHINA HUMAN RIGHTS SEMINAR
T
he 22nd EU-China Human Rights
Seminar was hosted by the Irish
Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway between October 30-31, 2012. The event
brought together approximately 50 Chinese
and European academic and civil society
experts from some 28 institutions, as well as
a small number of officials from both sides,
to discuss human rights issues of mutual
concern. The topics discussed at the two-day
conference were ‘Human Rights, the Environment and the Right to Development’ and
‘Protecting the Rights of Migrant Workers’.
Participants of the 22nd EU-China Human Rights Seminar, October 30-31 2012
The EU has been taking part in a biannual human rights dialogue with the Chinese authorities since 1996. This political
process has been supported since 1998 at
the academic level by the EU-China Human
Rights Seminar process. Responsibility for
logistical organisation of the Seminars on the
Chinese side has continuously resided with
the Law Institute of the Chinese Academy for
Social Science (CASS), China’s leading academic institute in the area of the social sciences. The Irish Centre for Human Rights is
contract in March 2009. The October event was part of the EU-China
the longest serving institutional organiser of the event in Europe, Human Rights Seminar process. It was also a special event for the
having been awarded a three year contract to lead the strategic de- Irish Centre for Human Rights, since it was the first time the official
velopment of the Seminar process in 2002 and a second four year
Seminar was hosted here in Galway.
MARY ROBINSON IN CONVERSATION WITH FINTAN O’TOOLE
F
ormer President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, gave a public interview on her life and work with journalist Fintan O’Toole at
NUI Galway on January 14, 2013. There was huge interest in the
event and the Bailey Allen Hall was filled to capacity. Following a lively interview with Fintan
O’Toole, a panel discussion
took place with Professor Bill
Schabas, of the Irish Centre
for Human Rights, as well as
Dr. Nata Duvvury and Dr.
Niamh Reilly from the University’s Global Women’s Studies Programme.
Dr. Jim Browne, President of National University of
Ireland, Galway, announced
plans to establish a Mary
Robinson Centre in the former President’s home town
of Ballina, Co. Mayo. The
Centre, supported by Mayo
County Council and Ballina
Town Council, will be established at Mary Robinson’s
birthplace and will include
both a visitor centre and an
academic research centre,
supported by NUI Galway
and focused on scholarly research and
education in the fields of Human Rights
and Women’s Leadership. Mary Robinson’s archive will be the centrepiece of the educational facility, and as academic partner to the project, NUI Galway will bring researchers and students from all over the
world to Ballina to engage with the archive. Mary Robinson’s archive
is a vast collection illuminating the life and career of one of Ireland’s
most distinguished public
figures. The archive includes
a library of books, and periodicals, Mary Robinson’s personal diaries, working files
and detailed records of her
career as a champion of human rights and women’s
equality. Also included are
numerous recordings and
manuscripts from her time as
President of Ireland. The University will also advise on the
cataloguing and making available of the extensive archive
which is valued at over €2.5
million.
Mary Robinson with Fintan O’Toole
Following the panel discussion and questions from the
floor, Mary Robinson signed
copies of her book Everybody
Matters A Memoir, which was
published in 2012 and has
been nominated for the Political Book Awards 2013 Political Book of
the Year.
IRISH CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Page 3
PARENTING IN DIRECT PROVISION
O
n November 16 an event was co- hosted by
the UNESCO Child and Family Research
Centre, The Irish Centre for Human Rights and the
School of Law, NUI Galway, at which two reports
were launched: ‘Parenting in Direct Provision:
Parent’s perspectives regarding stresses and
supports’ and ‘State sanctioned child poverty and
exclusion: the case of children in accommodation
for asylum-seekers’. Professor Ray Murphy
chaired a panel discussion, and the following
speakers made valuable contributions to the
event: Miss Helen Ogbu, Graduate of the MA in
Family Support Studies; Samantha Arnold, Irish
Refugee Council and Sade Jones, a former resident of Lisbrook House, Galway, who spoke about
her life in direct provision and the closure of
Lisbrook House.
The types of challenges faced by parents seeking
asylum in direct provision relate to mental health,
finance, education for their children, security and
safety, diet and their accommodation needs. One
former resident of Lisbrook House who was in
direct provision for five and a half years and was
moved three times in that period, reported how
control over one’s own future and that of the family was taken away from parents seeking asylum
in this country. Ms. Jones attested “Direct provision is only breeding drug addicts and prostitutes”
and also that “the inferiority complex is always
there for children in school when they live in direct provision.”
“The inferiority
complex is
always there for
children in
school when
they live in
direct
provision.”
HUMAN RIGHTS IN PRACTICE
T
Interviews at Choucha refugee camp, Tunisia © Amnesty
International
he Irish Centre for Human Rights hosted a talk ‘Human Rights
in Practice: the experience of working with a leading international human rights NGO,’ presented by Francesca Pizzutelli, a Researcher/Adviser with the Refugees and Migrants' Rights team at
the International Secretariat of Amnesty International in London.
Ms. Pizzutelli is currently conducting research on labour exploitation
and access to justice for irregular migrants in Italy. Ms Pizzutelli
commenced the presentation with a short film on the experience of
refugees at the Choucha camp in Tunisia, followed by a more generalised overview of the work of Amnesty International and its International Secretariat, with the final section of the presentation focusing
on projects relating to refugees in Egypt, migrant workers in Italy,
and advocacy at the Review Conference of the International Criminal Court. Ms. Pizzutelli also contributed some career advice tips for
those considering a career in the not-for profit sector, which was
followed by a Q&A session.
O
n October 30, 2012, Mark Ellis, the Executive Director of the International Bar Association
gave a lecture on the topic ‘The ICC and Domestic Courts: A Troubling Relationship.’ Prior to
joining the International Bar Association, Mr. Ellis spent ten years as the first Executive Director of
the Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative, providing technical legal assistance to twentyeight countries in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union, and to the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Mr. Ellis served as Legal Advisor to the Independent International Commission on Kosovo, chaired by Justice Richard J. Goldstone. He was also appointed by
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to advise on the creation of Serbia’s War
Crimes Tribunal and was actively involved with the Iraqi High Tribunal. He is presently a member of
the Advisory Panel to the Defence Counsel for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia.
Mark Ellis, Executive Director, IBA
THE ICC & DOMESTIC COURTS
BULLETIN VOL 12, ISSUE 1
Page 4
REPORTING FROM THE FRONT LINE
T
he International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Front
Line Defenders, in association with The Irish
Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway presented an interesting discussion on 11 October
2012, ‘Reporting from the Frontline’, which
highlighted the dangers human rights activists
face on the ground. Faraj Maguwu gave an
insight into his personal experiences as a lawyer in Zimbabwe, while Olga Sadovskaya informed us of her efforts to record detainee
torture in the Russian Federation. Mary Lawlor,
founder and executive director of Front Line
Defenders, chaired the seminar, which was
held in the conference room of the Irish Centre
for Human Rights.
Front Line Defenders: Olga Sadovskaya and Farai Maguwu
Photograph by Cyril Byrne
LUNCHTIME SEMINARS
PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS & DEMOCRATIZATION: ETHIOPIA
D
r. Semahagn Gashu Abebe, the Centre’s Bank of Ireland Post-Doctoral Fellow, made a
presentation on 27 November 2012 discussing the “Challenges of Democratisation and
Protection of Human Rights - the Case of Ethiopia”. Dr. Semahagn Gashu Abebe received an
LLM from University of Amsterdam, and a subsequent LLM and PhD from the University of
Goettingen. He worked as public prosecutor and lecturer of law in Ethiopia for seven years. Currently, he is the Bank of Ireland Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Irish Centre for Human Rights. His
research interests include constitutional law, human rights law, African studies and international
trade law.
Dr. Abebe presented an interesting overview of the challenges Ethiopia faces vis-à-vis human
rights protections and democratization. Firstly, he introduced Ethiopia’s complex history, the
development of federalism and the presence of a multiplicity of ethnic groups. Ethnic origins, Dr.
Abebe explained, can be a factor in employment discrimination, especially for government jobs.
The following are some of the challenges to the individual enjoyment of human rights in Ethiopia,
as identified by Dr. Abebe: the absence of a democratic culture in the country’s history; abject
poverty and high illiteracy; a rigid Marxist ideology in government; repression of civil society
groups; control of the media and the imprisonment of human rights defenders.
“Challenges of
Democratisation
and Protection
of Human
Rights - the
Case of
Ethiopia”.
HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS
T
Dr. Thomas Pegram
he Irish Centre for Human Rights received Dr. Thomas Pegram, Assistant Professor at
the Department of Political Science, Trinity College, on November 19, 2012, for a presentation on national human rights institutions. Dr. Pegram is an Assistant Professor of Political
Science (International Relations) at Trinity College Dublin. Formal human rights institutions
can provide powerful venues for affecting the outcome of political processes and influencing
their activity is of increasing importance to politicians and human rights activists alike. However, the actual performance or quality of human rights institutions in holding state actors to
account, especially in new democracies, has often disappointed scholars and civil society observers. The stakes are high, above all for those who have suffered rights violations at the
hands of government and security forces, yet find they have little recourse to justice. His thesis offered an explanation as to why some human rights institutions have emerged as credible
and authoritative rights defenders – even in countries where democratic institutions have proven difficult to establish and sustain – while others have effectively undermined human rights
on behalf of their governments.
IRISH CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Page 5
THE SOUTH CAUCASUS AND
PARADIGMS OF OCCUPATION LAW
THE EXTRAORDINARY CHAMBER IN THE
COURTS OF CAMBODIA
N
T
atia Kalandarishvili-Mueller spoke about: “The South Caucasus and Paradigms of Occupation Law,” on November
7 2012. Natia Kalandarishvili-Mueller is a PhD candidate, and
a lecturer on leave from the International Law Institute, Tbilisi
State University. Ms. Kalandarishvili-Mueller served as a chief
legal specialist at the Office of the State Minister of Georgia for
Reintegration, a key ministry working on conflict resolution issues in Georgia. The right to use of force, respect of territorial
borders, war and armed conflicts, protection of human rights,
and the right to self-determination have become recurrent issues in contemporary world politics. This is especially evident in
those parts of the world that are suffering from armed or frozen
conflicts, or are under military occupation. It is within this complex context that the situation in the South Caucasus was analysed through the lens of humanitarian law. Particular attention
was paid to the complexities of beginning and ending military
occupation in two of Georgia’s regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as in Mount Kharabakh in Azerbaijan.
he Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia has
been hearing cases from the era of the Khmer Rouge, 35
years after the events. From its outset, the project has been
beset by delays and criticisms. Michiel Pestman, Bohler Advocaden in Amsterdam, is particularly active in the field of international criminal law. He is on the lists of defense counsel for the
International Criminal Court, the Extraordinary Chambers in the
Courts of Cambodia, the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. He is
currently international counsel for Nuon Chea before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and spoke about his
work as defence counsel at the Chamber at the Irish Centre for
Human Rights on October 3rd, 2012.
OTHER NEWS AND ACTIVITIES
LLM TRIP TO ARMY BARRACKS
T
he LLM class had the opportunity to visit the local Defence Forces Barracks
on Thursday 25 Oct 2012. The programme was particularly useful for those taking
the Peacekeeping Module and the International Humanitarian Law class. The visit involved a practical and academic programme ranging from familiarisation with mines and
improvised explosive devices and weapons sessions to a series of presentations on relevant contemporary issues. These included a talk on the current situation in Syria from
the recently returned Comdt Mark Hearns. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Brennan made a
presentation on the legal basis of Peace Operations and contemporary challenges, while
Lieutenant Colonel Ray Lane spoke about asymmetric warfare and his own personal
experiences at giving evidence before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia. The day was widely enjoyed by those who attended.
1st BA Connect class to graduate,23rd Oct 2012
From top left to right: Christopher Power, Koshiki
Tanaka, Pauline Farrelly, Sarah Keigher.
Bottom left to right: Ray Murphy, Emma Lyons,
Kathy Murphy and Clodagh Joyce.
Students, staff and Defence Forces personnel
occasion of the ICHR October 2012 field trip to
Mellows Barracks, Galway. The visit involved a
familiarisation with mines. improvised explosive
photographed on the
the Defence Forces at
practical programme devices and weapons.
IRISH CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Page 6
TRAINING IN TRANSITION – EGYPT
& LIBYA
I
n November, Prof Murphy worked with the UN Office on
Genocide Prevention and the
Responsibility
to
Protect in
Egypt. The UN office had brought
civil society activists from Syria to
Egypt to undergo training on issues
related to the prevention of geno- Prof Murphy with the
cide and the responsibility to protect. He also conducted training with Amazigh minority near
the International Institute for Crimi- Sabha in southern Libya
nal Investigations in The Hague.
In December, Prof Murphy travelled to Libya. There he spent time
in Benghazi, Tripoli and Sabha working with No Peace Without Justice. This involved training
judges, prosecutors and lawyers in cooperation with the
Ministry of Justice. There were also meetings with NGO’s
and civil society groups on issues related to Transitional
Justice, Minority Rights and accountability under national
and international law. There were a number of colloquiums
with academics and students from Tripoli and Benghazi
universities.
RESEARCH MISSION TO GAZA: DR. KATHLEEN
CAVANAUGH
I
n November 2012, staff member, Dr. Kathleen
Cavanaugh, together with the Amnesty International researcher on Israel and the Occupied Territories
undertook a research mission to Gaza. The purpose
of the mission was to investigate alleged violations of
human rights and humanitarian law in the aftermath of an
Amnesty Mission
Israeli air offensive, which
began on November 14th,
2012 and led to the death of
Gaza, November 2012
a number of civilians as well
as extensive infrastructure
Dr. Kathleen
damage. The Israeli offensive came in the wake of the
Cavanaugh
firing of more than 1,100
rockets into Israel, since 14
November, by Palestinian
armed groups (the impact on
civil society in Israel was also researched by other
Amnesty delegates). A report of the findings of the
mission to Gaza and Israel is due to be published in
early 2013.
REFUGEE STATUS DETERMINATION IN TURKEY: PETER FITZMAURICE
Doctoral fellow, Peter Fitzmaurice, recently spent six week working in
Turkey as a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) Refugee Status Determination Consultant. The Republic of
Turkey is party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, but maintains a
"geographical limitation" under Article 1 (B) of the Convention,
whereby it is not obligated to apply the Convention to refugees from
outside Europe. In Turkey, the UNHCR registers non-European asylum-seekers and determines their refugee status, with a view to advising the Government on who should be given temporary asylum,
and identifies refugees for resettlement.
Resettlement remains the main durable solution for nonEuropean refugees in Turkey, given the limited local integration options and few opportunities for voluntary repatriation. The UNHCR in
Turkey is providing support to the Government of Turkey for the establishment of a national asylum system with required institutional
capacity and technical expertise to be able to take over refugee sta-
tus determination (RSD) activities from UNHCR.
The Syrian crisis has led to enormous numbers of people fleeing
into neighbouring countries. In some cases these are secondary
movements of refugees who fled from Iraq and sought asylum in
Syria. Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis over 150,000 Syrians
have sought shelter and assistance in the camps, while in excess of
70,000 Syrians are living in urban locations. In 2012, over 103,000
received protection and assistance in camps managed directly by
the Turkish Government, which has adopted a temporary-protection
regime for all Syrians in the country. In addition to these numbers
there are also large numbers of Iraqis, Iranians and Afghans who
have sought protection in Turkey. Peter’s work in Turkey involved
supervising the decisions of national staff and UN Volunteers who
had interviewed and made the initial decisions for Iranians and Afghans.
BULLETIN VOL 12, ISSUE 1
Page 7
UPCOMING EVENTS
IRELAND & THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL – WHERE TO FROM HERE?
O
n 1 January 2013 Ireland commenced its first term as a
newly elected member of the UN Human Rights Council.
The Human Rights Council, which was established in 2006 by the
UN General Assembly, is the most important UN body for the
protection and promotion of human rights. The 47 member Council is an inter-governmental body within the UN system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human
rights around the world and for addressing situations of human
rights violations. The Council has a number of mechanisms at its
disposal including Universal Periodic Review to assess human
rights practices in member states, the Advisory Committee, which
serves as the Council’s “think tank” providing it with expertise
and advice on thematic human rights issues, and the Complaint
Procedure, which allows individuals and organizations to bring
human rights violations to the attention of the Council.
man Rights Council. The event will bring together a range of experts from the field of human rights to draw up a list of recommendations that can inform Ireland’s term of office on the Council. Questions regarding the commitments made by Ireland during
its election campaign, how Ireland can best contribute to the
agenda of the Council, and the leadership role that Ireland can
play in the promotion of human rights will be considered and
addressed. Speakers include: H.E. Gerry Corr, Irish Ambassador
to the United Nations; Prof. Michael O’Flaherty, Co-Director, Irish
Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway; Mr. Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director, Amnesty International (Irish Section); Ms. Suzanne
Egan, Lecturer, School of Law, University College Dublin; Dr.
Niamh Reilly, Senior Lecturer, Global Women’s Studies, School of
Political Science and Sociology, NUI Galway; Ms. Mary Lawlor,
Founder and Executive Director, Frontline Defenders; Ms. Julie de
Rivero, Geneva Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch and Ms.
On Friday 1 Feb 2013, the Irish Centre for Human Rights and Caoimhe de Barra, Head of International Department, Trócaire.
the Irish Council for Civil Liberties will convene a one day seminar The one-day programme will run from 9.45am until 5.30pm in
at NUI Galway that will explore the challenges and opportunities
the Aula Maxima, the Quadrangle, NUI Galway.
presented by Ireland’s recent election to the United Nations Hu-
SHOULD DRUG ADDICTION BE
RECOGNISED AS A DISABILITY?
T
he International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy, the University of Essex, the Irish Centre for Human Rights and the Centre
for Disability Law and Policy at the National University of Ireland Galway
are hosting a debate on drug addiction and disability on Thursday, February 7th at 17.30pm at the Huston School of Film & Digital Media. Confirmed speakers include: Dr. Eliot Ross Albers, Executive Director, International Network of People who Use Drugs; Mr. Richard Elliott, Executive
Director, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network; Mr. Simon Flacks, Lecturer,
University of Reading; and Ms. Rebecca Schleifer, Advocacy Director,
Health and Human Rights Division, Human Rights Watch. The debate will
be chaired by Prof Gerard Quinn, Director, Centre for Disability Law and
Policy, NUI Galway. For further information, contact: Dr. Nancie Prud’homme at nprud@essex.ac.uk. A reception will follow the event at the
Irish Centre for Human Rights and there will also be a lunchtime seminar
on the topic hosted by the Irish Centre for Human Rights the following
day.
ANNUAL TRIP TO THE
HAGUE
T
he annual Irish Centre for Human Rights
visit to the international tribunals at The
Hague will take place on Wednesday 20th
and on Thursday 21st of February 2013. The
trip includes a tour of the International Criminal
Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a visit to a hearing at
the International Criminal Court and an optional
visit to the Peace Palace. An information leaflet
has been circulated, with an itinerary and the
travel options available, contact Amina Adanan
for any further details.
LUNCHTIME SEMINAR—CHASING JUSTICE IN
IRAQ AND THE BALKANS
T
he Irish Centre for Human Rights is pleased to present a
guest speaker, Aonghus Kelly, at our series of lunchtime
seminars. Mr. Aonghus Kelly is from Galway and holds an undergraduate degree in Law (BCL) at UCC in Cork, Ireland. In
2008 Mr. Kelly completed the LLM in International Human
Rights Law at the Irish Centre for Human Rights in NUIG. After
leaving Galway in 2008 he worked for Public Interest Lawyers
in England, and in 2010, he was admitted as a lawyer
(solicitor) in England and Wales. In 2011 he completed a Diploma at the University of Sarajevo in Islamic Studies.
Aonghus Kelly has worked on cases concerning Iraq and
Palestine, and was involved heavily in the Baha Mousa Public
Inquiry in London which concerned the murder and torture of
Iraqi civilians by British forces in Iraq and their use of banned
coercive interrogation techniques. In 2010, he began working
at the Prosecutors Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and was a
member of a team that investigated and prosecuted war
crimes from the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2012 he
moved to a new job with the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) where he works at the Special Prosecution Office in a team investigating and prosecuting War Crimes,
Organised Crime and Terrorism.
As a guest speaker at our lunchtime seminar, Mr. Aonghus
Kelly will talk about his experiences in England working on Iraqi
and Palestinian cases and on the Baha Mousa Inquiry and
then on the Balkans (Sarajevo and Kosovo). The main part of
the presentation will be on the challenges of seeking justice
both in the UK/Iraq scenario and also in the Balkans. Issues
such as the systems in place, investigating and taking/
prosecuting cases, witness fatigue, witness intimidation, challenges in the courtroom, and government interference will be
discussed. Besides sharing the background of his experiences,
Mr. Aonghus Kelly will also offer some helpful and useful information on how to hunt down jobs in the field of seeking justice.
IRISH CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Page 8
ANNUAL DOCTORAL SEMINAR
T
he Irish Centre for Human Rights is pleased to announce
its annual doctoral seminar, which will take place 22 – 26
April 2013 at NUI Galway. Professor Michael O’Flaherty, director
of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, Professor Martti Koskenniemi, director of the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law
and Human Rights, Professor William Schabas, Honorary Chairman of the Irish Centre for Human Rights and Dr. Michelle Farrell, senior lecturer at Liverpool University, will serve as academic experts for the week. Current PhD students, conducting re-
search in public international law, are welcome to participate
and present their doctoral projects. They will be given the opportunity to present before the experts and receive feedback
and suggestions. The doctoral seminar will include social activities to give the opportunity for informal talks and networking.
Feel free to circulate this announcement widely. To facilitate the
planning, please send an email, expressing your interest
to tanja.florath@nuigalway.ie.
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT SUMMER SCHOOL
T
he Irish Centre for Human Rights will host the
International Criminal Court Summer School
The 2013 faculty will include:
2013 from 17-21 June 2013 at NUI Galway. The
International Criminal Court Summer School is the premiere summer
Professor William Schabas- Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law,
NUI Galway and School of Law, Middlesex University;
school on the International Criminal Court. The International Criminal
Mr. Fabrizio Guariglia- Head of Appeals Division of the Office of the
Court is arguably the most important new international institution
Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court;
since the establishment of the United Nations. The aim of the InternaDr. Mohamed M. El Zeidy- Legal Officer for Pre-Trial Chamber II at the
International Criminal Court;
tional Criminal Court is to combat impunity for atrocities and it is at the
Dr. Rod Rastan- Legal Adviser at the Office of the Prosecutor at the
forefront of a broader movement for achieving accountability.
International Criminal Court;
The summer school consists of five days of intensive lectures given by
leading specialists on the subject. It will be attended by legal professionals, academics and postgraduate students. Participants
are provided with a detailed working knowledge of the establishment
of the Court, its applicable law, its structures and operations. Lectures
also speak to related issues in international criminal law, including:
genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, the crime of aggression, universal jurisdiction, immunities, and the role of the victims. For
more information and to register please visit our website at http://
conference.ie/Conferences/index.asp?Conference=199 or
email iccsummerschool@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/InternationalCriminalCourtSummerSchool2013.
Professor Siobhan Mullally- Professor of Law, University College Cork;
Professor Ray Murphy- Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, NUI
Galway;
Dr. Noelle Higgins- Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, NUI Galway;
Dr. Nadia Bernaz- Senior Lecturer, School of Law, Middlesex University;
Dr. Annyssa Ballal- Graduate Institute Geneva;
Mr. John McManus- Counsel /Avocat, Crimes Against Humanity and War
Crimes Section Canadian Department of Justice;
Dr. Nicolaos Strapatsas- Université du Québec á Montréal;
Professor Megan A. Fairlie- Professor of Law, Florida International University.
SUMMER SCHOOL IN CINEMA, HUMAN RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY
F
ollowing the success of the last seven years in Venice and Gal- senior facilitator of discussions during the summer school. Other
way, The Huston School of Film & Digital Media, NUI Galway, facilitators will include Professor William Schabas, professor of intertogether with the Irish Centre for Human
national law at Middlesex University in
Rights will host the fourth Summer
London and professor at the Irish Centre
School in Cinema, Human Rights and
for Human Rights, Professor Rod StoneAdvocacy in Galway from 27th June to
man, director of the Huston School of
6th July 2013. The programme continues
Film & Digital Media, Christopher Hird, a
to attract young talented filmmakers and
central figure in independent documenprofessionals from across the world to
tary making in the UK, Professor Koen de
engage in an exciting training course
Feyter, professor of international law at
where ideas and projects are shared,
the University of Antwerp in Belgium,
developed and challenged by fellow parEmma Sandon, who teaches Film and
ticipants and internationally acclaimed
Television Studies at Birkbeck College in
experts of film, television, photography
London, Florian Westphal, deputy direcand human rights. This year’s protor of communication at the International
gramme will features the Human Rights
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and
Cinema Event on 5th and 6th July, orgaKelly Matheson, programme director at
nized in collaboration with Amnesty InWitness, an international human rights
ternational, Ireland and Galway One
organization that uses video and online
World Centre, in order to give particitechnologies to raise awareness on hupants the chance to assist human rights
man rights violations. Elements of the
summer school include information on the fundamentals of human
films which forms a basis for critical discussion.
rights, how to raise awareness of human rights on camera, the develThe programme director is Nick Danziger, a leading practitioner in opment of ideas and how these ideas should be pitched. For further
the field of human rights documentary making, and he will act as the
information, please visit www.chra.ie or email: info@chra.ie.
http://www.nuigalway.ie/
human_rights/
IRISH CENTRE FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS
Irish Centre for Human Rights
National University of Ireland,
Galway
Phone: +353 (0)91 493948
Fax: +353 (0) 91 494575
E-mail: humanrights@nuigalway.ie
The Irish Centre for Human Rights is one of the world's
premier university-based institutions for the study and
promotion of human rights and humanitarian law.
Since its establishment in January 2000, the Centre
has developed a global reputation for excellence in the
field of human rights teaching, research and advocacy,
which has enabled the institution to attract high quality
students to its acclaimed masters programmes and
its undergraduate programme as well as to build a
thriving community of doctoral researchers.
The Centre currently has eight academic faculty
members, comprised of three professors and five lecturers. Fifteen additional lecturers also serve in an
adjunct or visiting capacity. A total of two project staff,
three administrative assistants, a post-doctoral fellow
and seven doctoral fellows also play a key role in carrying out the work of the Centre. 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 which the Centre is linked and maintains
a close cooperative working relationship.
Valley of Tears by Hannah Russell
Afternoon Tea by Michael Kearney