Sarah is joined by Barrister Darren Lalor who specialises in criminal law in Dublin.  Darren talks about his unique journey into law which started in 2008 when Darren worked as a taxi driver in Dublin.  ..read more

This is a special episode of Activist Lawyer highlighting the fantastic efforts of Dublin-based Lawyer Edel Finn who set up a fundraiser to distribute Ukrainian books to children from Ukraine living in Ireland.  Please listen in for more information on this fantastic initiative and support Edel’s efforts if you can! https://www.gofundme.com/f/books-for-ukrainian-children ..read more

Sarah talks with leading human rights solicitor, Kevin Winters of KRW Law in this slightly longer recording of Activist Lawyer.  Kevin has been at the cutting edge of niche criminal appeal work in Northern Ireland and further afield and was instructed in numerous high profile cases.  His work on both historical abuse cases as well as ground-breaking  litigation arising from the Troubles in Northern Ireland, is widely acknowledged on a global scale and challenges otherwise accepted  narratives informed by decades of conflict, inquests  and an ever-changing political cli ..read more

The first episode of 2023 kicks off with Aoife Kelly Desmond, Managing Solicitor at Mercy Law Resource Centre, Dublin.   Aoife talks about transitioning from corporate law into human rights law and discusses the crucial work undertaken at MLRC particularly as Ireland faces a housing and homelessness crisis.    Activism and law in action ..read more

Meet the solicitor who inspired Activist Lawyer, Jonathan McKeown from JMK Solicitors. Jonathan takes us back to Autumn 2020 to talk about the origin of the concept for ‘Activist Lawyer’ as not just a podcast but as an outlet for showcasing and praising the people working to make the lives of the public better not just for today but into the future. Sarah and Jonathan discuss past guests, inspiring activist lawyers, the podcast’s coverage of important legal issues and Jonathan’s own career in law, business and podcasting!   This is our FINAL episode of the year and of this season! We ..read more

Sarah is joined by Kevin Hanratty, Director of Human Rights Consortium to discuss the engaging and imperative work his organisation undertakes to advance the development of human rights in Northern Ireland.  The Human Rights Act is up for discussion with a focus on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.  Listeners will gain important insights into how a state human rights review works in line with international standards and will hear more about the exciting line up for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival 3rd – 10th December 2022 ..read more

In this weeks episode, our host Sarah, is joined by solicitor Owen Beattie who talks about his journey into human rights, public interest law and criminal defence law before opening his new firm, Owen Beattie Solicitors this year.  Owen provides excellent insights into his current practice touching on his work with families around the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Redress Board.  ..read more

This month saw the announcement of reforms to penal policies in the Republic of Ireland – changes that have the potential to radically overhaul how the courts, Probation Service and Prison Service deal with those convicted of crimes.   We were delighted to be joined by Saoirse Brady, Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust to talk about the work of this organisation at such a crucial time.  Saoirse, a non-practicing lawyer, takes us on her career journey which is truly inspiring and informative.  Not to be missed ..read more

In this week's episode, Sarah is joined by Jude Copeland Jude Copeland, Legal Technology Specialist, from Cleaver Fulton Rankin who intrigues us with an honest and frank insight into his legal journey, his outstanding work with the LBGTQ+ community, human rights projects and not forgetting – the importance for solicitors to stop time wasting and start using legal technology in practice ..read more

In this episode Sarah is joined by solicitor Qays Sediqi who specialises in human rights law and immigration.  Qays represents clients who boarded the plane destined for Rwanda this year.  He talks about challenging the government regarding removals to Rwanda and his Afghan refugee cases.  Qays speaks candidly about his journey into law which was not without its challenges!  A really important episode for anyone who feels a little daunted about entering the world of public / human rights law ..read more