Ian Marder

I joined Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology as Assistant Professor in Criminology in May 2018. Within the School, I act as Director of Outreach and Engagement, Chair of the MA in Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice, Deputy Director of Postgraduate Studies, and Deputy Director of the Research Centre for Criminology.

I am an expert in criminal justice reform, particularly in the development of restorative justice and restorative practices in criminal justice. My work explores how to reduce the harm caused by crime and criminal justice, and how to identify, communicate and implement humane, evidence-based ways to meet citizen and professional needs in the justice context. I write about restorative justice, using restorative practices to change institutional cultures in criminal justice and higher education, and the design and impact of sentencing guidelines. I also write for public and professional audiences to disseminate knowledge on criminal justice reform.

In 2023, I am collaborating with colleagues from academia, policy and practice on several projects, including:

- Restorative Justice: Strategies for Change (2019-2024), in which partners from ten countries work together to implement the 2018 Council of Europe Recommendation concerning restorative justice in criminal matters, funded in Ireland by the Department of Justice (from 2020-2021).

- Evaluating restorative practices training for senior leaders in the Irish Prison Service (2022-2023), funded by the Irish Prison Service.

- Using restorative practices to build understanding between police officers and young Black adults in Dublin West (2021-2023), funded by the Irish Research Council.

- Investigating the experiences of academics and students in a Sustained Restorative Dialogue (2020-2023), funded by the MU Research Incentivisation Fund.

- Unlocking Potential - for fair admissions to higher education institutions for people with previous convictions (2020-), funded by the Public Service Innovation Fund (from 2020-2022).

I established two academic networks: the Restorative Justice Pedagogy Network, which focuses on teaching restorative justice and restorative practices in universities; and the Community of Restorative Researchers which disseminates research on restorative justice and restorative practices, and connects researchers with policymakers and practitioners.

I am a member of the European Forum for Restorative Justice, the Irish Penal Reform Trust and the International Society for Therapeutic Jurisprudence. I sit on the Department of Justice's Youth Justice Advisory Group. I am also a Lecturer with the International Institute for Restorative Practices (2021-) and an Adjunct Professor with Vermont Law School’s Centre for Justice Reform (2022-).

I obtained my Ph.D. in 2018 from the University of Leeds Centre for Criminal Justice Studies (UK) for research on the institutionalisation of restorative justice in the police. Previously, I was a Research Associate at the University of Liverpool working with the N8 Policing Research Partnership (2018), and a Visiting Scholar at the KU Leuven Institute of Criminology (2015-2016). From 2017-2018, I acted as Scientific Expert to the Council of Europe to draft Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)8 concerning restorative justice in criminal matters.

I was born in Canada and hold dual Canadian-British citizenship. I am happy to speak to the media about restorative justice, policing, sentencing and criminal justice reform. I am also open to requests from public and third-sector organisations, educational institutions and professional bodies to give guest lectures and workshops, or to discuss developing restorative justice and restorative practices.