Date: 3 December 2015
Time: 6pm, with registration from 5.30pm and tea & coffee on arrival.
Venue: The Pillar Room, Rotunda Hospital, Parnell Square, Dublin 1
The Council and Staff of FLAC cordially invite you to the Ninth Annual Dave Ellis Memorial Lecture which will be delivered by Michael Farrell at The Pillar Room, Rotunda Hospital, Parnell Square, Dublin 1 on Thursday 3 December at 6pm.
The lecture will focus on "Using the Law to Secure Social Justice" with a particular emphasis on litigation in the public interest. It will be followed by a reception.
Michael Farrell is an internationally recognised human rights campaigner and author of several books. He has had a varied career; working as a lecturer at the Belfast College of Technology and as a journalist before becoming a solicitor in 1990. He practised in areas such as criminal law, extradition, defamation and in cases before the Residential Institution Redress Board. He also took successful cases to the European Court of Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Committee. A lifelong campaigner and activist, Michael was a prominent civil rights activist in Northern Ireland in the 1960s and 1970s, Co-Chair of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties in the 1990s and a member of the Irish Human Rights Commission for ten years. He is currently the Irish member of the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance. He was appointed to the Council of State by President Michael D. Higgins in 2012. Since joining FLAC in 2005, Michael has represented Dr Lydia Foy in her successful campaign for recognition of transgender persons in Ireland, while his other legal work particularly focuses on the area of social welfare law.
The late Dave Ellis was a community activist who dedicated his career to working with community groups in areas including welfare rights, legal aid, legal education and legal entitlements generally. Dave was Community Law Officer at Coolock Community Law Centre (now Community Law & Mediation) for more than 20 years. He subsequently established Community Legal Resource to provide information, training and support for the not-for-profit and community sector.
Attendance is free but as space is strictly limited pre-registration is essential. Please register using our online registration form. Alternatively, contact Aoife Masterson by e-mail events@flac.ie or by phone on 01 887 3600. RSVP on or before Friday 27 November.
The Pillar Room is in the grounds of the Rotunda Hospital on Parnell Square. Direct access is via the blue gates beside the Gate Theatre which will be open for the duration of the event. There is limited on-street parking in the area, and the Rotunda Hospital car park will be open from 5.30pm at a cost of €6 (payable in coins on exiting the car park).
If you require sign-language interpretation or other assistance, please let us know before Friday 20 November so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. The venue is wheelchair accessible.