PILA and the PILS Project are holding their inaugural Joint Annual Conference, Political Commitment, Practical Protection: Using the ECHR North and South on Friday 11 November 2011 at Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin.
The conference is focused on the political commitment to and practical implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland since 1998's Good Friday Agreement. Donncha O'Connell, Law Lecturer at the National University of Ireland Galway, is the conference's chairperson.
Shami Chakrabarti, Director of UK human rights organisation Liberty, will deliver the keynote address. Three prominent practitioners from the North and South (Sean Doran BL, Colin Daly and Michael Farrell) will then speak about how the ECHR is being used practically in both jurisdictions.
The afternoon session considers the use of the ECHR in relation to specific people and issues: children, housing, mental health, prisoners and Travellers. Breakout sessions on each of these areas will be held with a chairperson and speakers representing both jurisdictions. Michael Finucane will then reflect on whether there is in fact equivalence of protection under the ECHR North and South.
The conference is FREE (including lunch) for all legal practitioners, non-governmental organisation staff, legal academics, law students and anyone else interested in the development of public interest law in the North and South. CPD Points are available.
Download the conference agenda here.
Register NOW online here.