UCD Sutherland School of Law is delighted to welcome Judge Suzanne Kingston of the General Court of the European Union to deliver the John M Kelly Memorial Lecture: “On the role of constitutional identity: Teach solais or will-o’-the-wisp?”
She is a Professor of Law at UCD and was a Senior Counsel practising at the Irish bar prior to her appointment to the bench. In UCD Sutherland School of Law, she led a major European Research Council funded project from 2015 to 2021.
We are particularly pleased that Judge Kingston will deliver the lecture in 2024 as the Sutherland School of Law celebrates a decade in the state-of-art law school building on the UCD campus with a very special evening.
The lecture will commence at 6.15pm sharp (registration/tea/coffee from 5.45pm) and will be followed by a short reception at 7.30pm.
2024 Lecture Title and Abstract:
“On the role of constitutional identity: Teach solais or will-o’-the-wisp?”
For years, the doctrine of constitutional identity has given rise to a heated debate: some have viewed it as a guiding light delimiting the boundaries of the EU and national legal orders; others argue that it is essentially an opportunity for constitutional relativism. In November 2022, the Irish Supreme Court stepped into the fray, invoking the doctrine for the first time in holding that it would be unconstitutional for Ireland to ratify the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Costello v Government of Ireland [2022] IESC 44).
This lecture considers the utility and limits of the doctrine, in the light of the recent jurisprudence of the Supreme Court, CJEU and European Court of Human Rights. Is it, as some have argued, an important tool for protecting the autonomy of the (national or EU) legal order or, as others claim, a dangerous legal trump card with no definable boundaries?
The John M Kelly Lecture Series
The lecture series honours the memory of the late John M Kelly (1931 – 1991), former government minister, Attorney General and law professor in UCD. It has been hosted by the UCD School of Law for more than 20 years. It is one of the most prestigious events hosted by the School and, since its beginnings, many senior members of the Irish and international judiciary have delivered this lecture.
John M Kelly was Professor of Roman Law and Jurisprudence at UCD and a renowned expert in constitutional law. He was elected to the Seanad in 1969 and subsequently served as TD for Dublin South from 1973 - 1989, when he retired from politics. He served as a Junior Minister in the 70s and subsequently as Attorney General, acting Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Trade and Tourism. He was widely published in the area of constitutional law including the following publications: Fundamental Rights in Irish Law, Constituting Roman Litigation, Studies in Civil Jurisprudence of the Roman Republic and The Irish Constitution.
