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Contesting Constitutional Governance: The Inaugural TriCON Doctoral Conference

This event serves as the official inauguration of the TriCON Doctoral Forum, a network aimed at fostering connections among PhD researchers

Friday 9 June 2023


Date of Event: Friday, 9 June 2023
Time: 9.00 am - 6.00 pm
Venue: The Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin 2
Registration: Event registration can be completed here

About the Event

We are pleased to present 'Contesting Constitutional Governance,' a one-day conference organized by Trinity's Centre of Constitutional Governance (TriCON). This interdisciplinary event brings together scholars from law, socio-legal studies, and political science, transcending disciplinary boundaries. With a focus on all-Ireland participation, the conference features twelve promising PhD researchers from across the island who are actively exploring topics related to Governance and Constitutionalism, aligned with the research clusters of TriCON and the EUROGOV, Trinity’s Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence.

The conference offers a platform for these early-career researchers to present their ongoing work and receive valuable feedback from esteemed attendees and chairs. Distinguished senior researchers specializing in constitutional governance from universities across the island will be chairing each panel to provide further insight and feedback. This bridge between theory and practice. Bridging the theory-practice gap, the conference will be concluded by an address from our keynote speaker.

The forum aims to nurture a network of young scholars with shared research interests, facilitating collaborative works and encouraging interdisciplinary connections. Through the organization of workshops, conferences, and other events, the forum seeks to promote the growth and development of this vibrant community across disciplines and geographic boundaries.

Programme of Events

9.00 Registration with Tea and Coffee
9.30 - Panel 1: Balancing Rights Noha Eissa Zakaria Abdelsalam (TCD), Protecting Freedom Of Expression While Fighting Terrorism In Egypt
  Michael Coleman (UCD), Securing Non-Domination in the Social Republic: A Social Republican Theory of Rights
  Somshubhra Banarjee (UCD), Emergency Legislation and Competing Claims to Authority
11.00 Coffee Break
11.15 - Panel 2: Remedies and Solutions Daniel Gilligan (TCD), Rights, Remedies, and Vindication in Irish Constitutional Law
  Leah Rea (Ulster), The (un)conventional approach? Exploring constitutionalism in the context of the application of constitutional conventions on matters of human rights in Northern Ireland
  Davy Lawlor (DCU), From Parliamentary Elections to the Criminal Code: the Value of Remedial Flexibility in Constitutional Review
12.30 Lunch Break served in Long Room Hub
13.30 - Panel 3: Restraint, Activism & Discretion Anurag Deb (QUB) The Northern Ireland executive: politics, law and a rethink of judicial intervention
  Saoirse Enright (UL), Chief Justice Hugh Kennedy: An Omen for Judicial Activism?
  Aisling Ryan (UCC), Administrative Discretion at First Instance
15.00 Coffee Break
15.15 - Panel 4: Constitutional Change Seán Rainford (DCU), Unfettered Amendability In Ireland: Past, Present, And (Possible) Futures
  Alex Layden (TCD), Irish constitutional legislation: a comparative analysis of legislation relating to the internal structure of the state, constitutional rightsand state sovereignty
  Liam Edwards (Ulster), For Wales, see Scotland: Thoughts on Indyref2 and the effect of asymmetric devolution on the constitutional status of Wales
16.30 Keynote Address
18.00 Wine Reception