On Thursday, 24th October, the School of Law & Criminology hosted a panel discussion entitled, “Public Opinion, Penal Populism, and Human Rights in Irish Penal Policymaking: A Discussion.” This event was part of the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) 2024 Human Rights Campaign and Maynooth University’s 2024 Research Week. It was cosponsored by the Ireland chapter of ELSA, the Centre for Criminology, and the Centre for European Law with the support of the School of Law & Criminology.
Dr. Kevin Wozniak, Director of the Centre for Criminology, was joined by Ben Ryan, Assistant Secretary General for Criminal Justice Policy at the Department of Justice, and Dr. Thamil Ananthavinayagan, Assistant Principal/Senior Legal Researcher at the Department of Justice. Dr. Wozniak discussed social science theory and research that addresses the role of public opinion and politics, governance and legal institutions, and international law and legal norms in the formation of criminal justice policy. Dr. Ananthavinayagan expanded upon the influence of the European Court of Human Rights over Irish penal policy and practice and discussed how the rise of far-right groups are threatening longstanding commitments to human rights norms across Europe. Mr. Ryan shared how policymakers in the Irish Civil Service balance best practices from research evidence with the sensitivities of contemporary political pressures when advising the Government. The event concluded with a fascinating discussion between members of the audience and the panellists regarding predictions for the future of Irish criminal justice policymaking during this period of heightened global conflicts.
