Dr. Michael James Boland, Mr. Aaron Harte-Hughes, Ms. Chloë Cass BL, and Ms. Obele Akinniranye from the School of Law & Criminology spoke at the inaugural Lex Connect All-Ireland PhD Law Conference which was held at Dublin City University on November 2nd, 2024.
The Conference, which brought together researchers from across the island of Ireland, was organised by PhD researchers from different Irish universities. The Chair of the organising committee was Ms. Chloë Cass BL who is a PhD Researcher and Irish Research Council Recipient at the School of Law & Criminology, Maynooth University.
Dr. Boland served as Discussant of three company law-related papers at the Conference. In responding to papers which broadly speaking concerned corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) obligations, Dr. Boland considered the governance and legal drivers influencing corporate engagement with ESG issues. In this context, Dr. Boland discussed the application and effect of entity theory in Irish company law and how this, in addition to recent legislative developments like the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, underscores the legal imperative on the part of company directors to take account of ESG matters when acting in the interests of the company. Dr. Boland also discussed how the landmark case of ClientEarth v. Shell PLC should serve as a cautionary tale for directors and thus encourage them to take ESG-related obligations seriously.
Another paper on the company law panel related to competition law and policy. Dr. Boland's response to this paper focused on the issue of protectionism and in this context drew on various provisions of EU law most notably Articles 28-36 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which seek to limit protectionism within the Single Market.
Mr. Aaron Harte-Hughes delivered a paper as part of the criminal law panel at the Conference. Mr. Harte-Hughes's paper considered a comparative analysis of international witness protection practice. His paper concerned both procedural and non-procedural protective measures for witnesses endangered as a consequence of their collaboration with the justice system.
Ms. Obele Akinniranye delivered a paper on the constitutional and legal culture panel at the Conference. Ms. Akinniranye's paper entitled “Redesigning Legal Educational Practice: A Global Curriculum Incorporating AI” made the case for a reconceptualisation of legal education in light of technological innovations and advancements. To this end, Ms. Akinniranye proposed a globalised legal curriculum which incorporates AI and other technologies. It was argued that such an approach would transform the future of law teaching and practice by reshaping traditional methods of knowledge acquisition and professional training.
Reflecting on the Conference, Dr. Boland said:
'The Lex Connect All-Ireland PhD Law Conference is an excellent initiative in which doctoral and early-career researchers can showcase their work, meet colleagues from across the island, and explore research synergies and shared interests. The inaugural conference brought together researchers from all four provinces of Ireland who are examining novel ways in which to address urgent legal issues in areas of sustainability, artificial intelligence, penology, sexual and gender-based violence, amongst others. I am very grateful to my colleague, Chloë Cass BL, Chair of the Lex Connect Steering Committee, for inviting me to participate in the conference as a Discussant and to Dublin City University for hosting the event.'
Speaking after the Conference, Mr. Harte-Hughes said:
'The successful undertaking of the inaugural Lex Connect All-Ireland PhD Law Conference is a testament to both the ingenuity and collegiality of all persons involved. Specifically, this event demonstrates the close relationship shared between scholars on the island of Ireland. With Lex Connect 2024 now representing a positive precedent, my hope is that this is the first of many more student-led conferences.'
Ms. Chloë Cass BL, Chair of the Lex Connect Steering Committee and PhD Researcher & Government of Ireland Scholar at the School of Law & Criminology, Maynooth University, said:
'It was a privilege to help establish the Lex Connect All Ireland Legal PhD Conference with my committee. A voluntary team of doctoral candidates from across the law schools of Ireland came together to set up and organise the conference, bringing a variety of skills and perspectives. The conference gave PhD candidates an opportunity to showcase their work, to receive feedback from established academics and network with colleagues from all over Ireland. The day was successful in its aims, and I hope has set down a solid base from which future iterations of the conference can build. I am incredibly grateful to all our sponsors and supporters but especially to those in Maynooth. Thank you to the school for their sponsorship, to Dr Michael Boland for acting as discussant, to Aaron Harte-Hughes and Obele Akinniranye for their papers. I also want to thank the PhD law students in Maynooth who supported me as their representative, whether on the day or the months leading up to the conference.'