In this panel discussion, Dr. Kevin Wozniak (Director of the Centre for Criminology, Maynooth University), Ben Ryan (Assistant Secretary General for Criminal Justice Policy, Department of Justice), and Dr. Thamil Ananthavinayagan (Assistant Principal/Senior Legal Researcher, Department of Justice) will consider social and political factors that influence penal policymaking in Ireland. Drawing upon insights from international research, they will consider the ways that public opinion affects the choices and options of policymakers, both as “populist punitiveness” and as public support for rehabilitation and alternatives to punishment. They will discuss the ways that international human rights norms and EU law shape policymaking, as well as the degree to which human rights resonate with or challenge populist sentiments.
This event is part of the European Law Student Association’s 2024 Human Rights Campaign, and it is cosponsored by ELSA and Maynooth University’s School of Law & Criminology, Centre for Criminology, and Centre for European Law.