Term of office expires 29 November 2026
Member since 24 November 2011
Bureau member from January 2018 to December 2019
1st Vice-Chair from January to December 2020
Vice-Chair from January 2021
Education and academic and other qualifications
- BA (English), Queens University, Belfast
- MSc. (Politics), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
- Diploma in Legal Studies, Dublin Institute of Technology
- Solicitor at Law, Law Society of Ireland
Professional activities
(a) Present positions
- Senior Solicitor, Free Legal Advice Centres of Ireland, 2005 to date
(b) Work at national level
- 2012- Member, Irish Council of State
- 2001-2011, Member of the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) and Convenor of its Committee on Racism; also member of the Joint Committee of the IHRC and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
- 2001-to date, Member of the Human Rights Committee of the Law Society of Ireland
- 2001-2003, Member of the Steering Group drawing up the National Action Plan Against Racism
- 1995-2000, Chair, Irish Council for Civil Liberties
- 1990-2005, Solicitor in private practice
- 1981-1990, Journalist with several national newspapers
(c) International Work
- Represented the IHRC at UN CERD hearings in 2005 and 2011 and in meetings with the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and the Framework Convention on National Minorities
- Worked on 'Shadow' Reports to various UN and Council of Europe monitoring bodies and special expert committees
- Represented the IHRC at the World Conference Against Racism in 2001
- Took legal cases to the European Court of Human Rights, the European Committee of Social Rights and the UN Human Rights Committee
- 2011-to date, Member of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), Council of Europe
Publications and other works
- Lecturer on the European Convention on Human Rights for the Law Society of Ireland
- Numerous articles on human rights law and public interest law in legal and human rights journals
