LawPod

In this episode Dr Rachel Killean interviews Prof. Anne-Marie McAlinden about her research and life as an academic. In the first of three episodes developed in partnership with the QUB School of Law Athena Swan Committee for International Women's Day 2021, Dr Rachel Killean interviews Prof. Anne-Marie McAlinden about her research and life as an academic. This episode is part of our International W...

In this episode, PhD candidate Paula Shilliday talks to Professor Heather Conway about the intersections between the COVID-19 pandemic and the laws of death and burial. Prof Conway outlines the ways in which COVID-19 and related restrictions have impacted upon the socially and culturally significant act of the funeral, and the implications of this - in particular in terms of the potential risk to...

This episode explores Dr. Ronagh McQuigg’s research into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Ronagh shares her reflections on the effect of lockdown and social distancing measures implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic on rates of domestic violence. She points to the numerous ways in which the pandemic has exacerbated the situation for victims and ...

This episode explores the concept of parliamentary sovereignty with Professor Aileen McHarg. It is a wide-ranging conversation which touches on foundational elements of parliamentary sovereignty, judicial interpretation, devolution, Brexit and democracy. It is an engaging and enlightening look at a key legal concept which underpins constitutional law in the United Kingdom and has been at the foref...

​In this podcast we discuss with guests Tura Arutura , Cassie Logan (both activists for BLM) and Sinead Marmion (from Phoenix Law) the PSNI's approach to the BLM protests in Belfast last June. Our guests discuss their experiences of institutional racism in Northern Ireland and how social media plays a key role in educating others about the reality of being black in Northern Ireland. This episode a...

​In this podcast, Prof Kieran McEvoy and Prof Mark Drumbl explore the intersections between informers and transitional justice. Drawing in particular on Mark and Dr Barbora Hola's research on informers and collaborators in the former Czechoslovakia, this podcast explores the role of informers in transitional justice so far and considers what transitional justice should do with informers. Kieran an...

​In this episode, Arianna McBurney and Megan Burns talk to Professor Daithi Mac Sithigh about the contact tracing apps in the UK. Professor Mac Sithigh discusses the implication for data privacy law, whether we should be concerned about data breaches, and what his ideal contact tracing app would look like. Professor Daithi Mac Sithigh is a professor of Law and Innovation at Queen's University Belf...

In this episode, Professor Tom Hadden and Professor Brice Dickson discuss the origins of human rights research at Queen's. The episode discusses the history of the human rights centre at Queen's, the role students play in human rights movements, researching and applying human rights law during the troubles, and the future of human rights research. https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/human-right...

In this episode, Professor Colin Harvey reflects on the constitutional arrangement here in Northern Ireland with Emer Smyth, a Master of Laws student at QUB.  At the end, Colin is asked five quickfire questions about himself - the answers can only be one word or one sentence. In this episode we cover: - The Good Friday Agreement - its rights-based and constitutional promises. ( the Agreement itsel...

​In this podcast, Dr. Mark Hanna talks about Defamation and Privacy Law in Northern Ireland with media lawyers Paul Tweed, Peter Girvan and Oliva O'Kane, the journalist and author Sam McBride, and Jessica Ní Mhainín of the Index on Censorship organisation

​In this episode, Prof Kieran McEvoy and Dr Anna Bryson discuss the findings of their ESRC-funded research project, Apologies, Abuses and Dealing with the Past . Focusing on apologies for harms related to the Northern Ireland conflict, they consider what makes a good apology, some of the specific apologies that have been made in relation to the conflict, and the relationship between apologies and...

​In this episode, Dr Iosif Kovras (University of Cyprus) explores issues relating to disappearances in Cyprus. He discusses the context of disappearances, mobilisation by families of the disappeared, the work of the Committee on Missing Persons, and the challenges of recovering the remains of those who have been disappeared. You can learn more about Iosif's work on his website . His monograph, Gra...

In this episode we welcome Roberta Bacic and Breege Doherty to discuss the Conflict Textiles archive and the current exhibition, Following the Footsteps of the Disappeared. Drawing on descriptions of specific pieces from the exhibition, Roberta and Breege explore the role of textiles in activism and in the memorialisation of the disappeared. Four pieces are discussed in this episode: For Paul Wher...

In this episode, Dr Lauren Dempster interviews Prof Kieran McEvoy about the role of ex-combatants in transitional justice processes. Kieran discusses the notion of the ex-combatant as a 'spoiler', the role of ex-combatants in transforming cultures of violence and building peace, and what the Northern Ireland experience suggests for other transitional contexts.

​In this episode, Prof Kieran McEvoy interviews world-leading amnesties expert Prof Louise Mallinder and Dr Lauren Dempster about the role of amnesties in transitional justice processes.  In particular they discuss what Louise has learned about these mechanisms through the process of compiling her database of some 700 amnesty laws. You can access Louise's amnesty database here.

Prof Kieran McEvoy and Dr Kevin Hearty explore the relationship between policing and transitional justice. Drawing on the Northern Ireland case study and international examples, they analyse the compromises, challenges and complexities of policing in transition. To learn more about Dr Hearty’s research into policing, please see his 2017 Critical Criminology article on ‘Discourses of political poli...

In this episode, Prof Kieran McEvoy and Dr Cheryl Lawther discuss official and grassroots approaches to truth recovery in Northern Ireland. Transitional Justice Series 2 - In this episode, Prof Kieran McEvoy and Dr Cheryl Lawther discuss official and grassroots approaches to truth recovery in Northern Ireland, the politics of – and challenges facing – efforts to recover truth in this context, and...

Dr Mark Hanna talks about Women of Colour and Human Rights with Dean Adrien Wing and Professor Anna Spain Bradley. Dean Adrien Wing is Associate Dean for International and Comparative Law Programs and the Bessie Dutton Murray Professor at the University of Iowa College of Law, and Professor Anna Spain Bradley is Vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion at UCLA. The distinguished guests...

Transitional Justice Series 1 - In this episode Dr Rachel Killean tells us about her recent article, ‘From ecocide to eco-sensitivity: ‘greening’ reparations at the International Criminal Court,’ published in The International Journal of Human Rights in 2020. Rachel examines the challenges of responding to conflict-related environment harm, explores the concept of ‘eco-sensitivity,’ and discusses...

Oluwayomi Olaide-Kolapo (QUB’s African and Caribbean Society) and Hamsavani Rajeswaren (former QUB Student Union Officer for Equality and Diversity) discuss the particular challenges of facing up to white supremacy in higher education institutions. In this episode we welcome Oluwayomi Olaide-Kolapo (the President of QUB’s African and Caribbean Society) and Hamsavani Rajeswaren (former QUB Student...

In this episode Dr Lauren Dempster interviews Prof. Robin Hickey and Dr Rachel Killean about their project ‘Restoring Cultural Property and Communities after Conflict’. They discuss the experience of the Cham Islamic minority in Cambodia, reflecting on their loss of cultural property during the Khmer Rouge regime, and exploring their process of recovery following the end of that regime. More infor...

Host Anoushka Syed is joined by Kaitlyn Laverty (Youth Strike 4 Climate Belfast) and Paul Brogan (Extinction Rebellion Northern Ireland) to talk about being modern activists, how eco-anxiety can be channelled into constructive efforts, and how media representations are largely missing the point. Youth Strike 4 Climate Belfast https://www.facebook.com/ys4cbelfast/ https://fridaysforfuture.org/ http...

Lawpod Director Rachel Killean talks to PhD candidate Siofra Corr about her research which is focused on reparations processes for sexual violence victims of mass conflicts. They explore the contextualites of Siofra's chosen topic and her experience of studying at the Law School, touching on how she has managed with the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on her studies. Siofra obtained her ...

Dr Mark Hanna and Professor Hans Lindahl, Chair of Legal Philosophy at Tilburg University in a wide ranging conversation about law, philosophy, boundaries and social movements. Dr Mark Hanna in discussion with Professor Hans Lindahl, Chair of Legal Philosophy at Tilburg University and Chair of Global Law at Queen Mary University of London . Professor Lindahl discusses a range of issues, including...

Lawpod Director Rachel Killean talks to PhD candidate Iain Nash about his research which is focused on examining how nation-states regulate cybersecurity with a particular focus on consumer protection and Smart Devices. He is particularly interested in how we can legislate for 'post-data' cybersecurity, as we now live in an environment where our connected devices can have a physical impact on our...