On 26th October, Professor Michael O’Flaherty - currently Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, formerly Director of the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union (FRA), and Adjunct Professor at the School of law and Criminology - was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria. The honour was conferred by Her Excellence Ambassador Melitta Schubert at the Embassy of Australia. In accepting the honour Prof. O’Flaherty highlighted that this is “not just for myself, but for all those who work at the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, and for all those who work standing up for human rights everywhere”.
Dr. Fergus Ryan, Head of School and Criminology as well as Prof. Delia Ferri, Professor Law and Member of the Scientific Committee of the FRA attended the ceremony on behalf of the School. In attending the event, Dr. Ryan stated: “This is an important recognition of Prof. O’Flaherty’s enduring commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights in Europe and beyond. It is an incredible honour for our School to have among our adjunct staff people of the calibre of Prof. O’Flaherty”. Prof. Ferri highlighted that “This honour is a recognition of Prof. O’Flaherty’s outstanding achievements in the field of human rights. It represents a clear message that we need to remain vigilant in ensuring respect for human rights and in supporting human rights defenders around the world”.