February 2007 Prestigious Human Rights Appointments for NUI Galway Law Professor

The Law Faculty at NUI Galway is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Gerard Quinn to two prestigious committees in recognition of his work on international disability law.

Professor Quinn, who is a member of the Irish Human Rights Commission, has been made the 'focal point' for the work of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) on disability. NHRIs are composed of human rights commissions or similar bodies from around the world and are co-ordinated by an International Coordinating Committee based in the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

In his new capacity, Professor Quinn has already convened a major conference of human rights commissions from four continents at Harvard Law School to discuss how commissions can step up their collaboration in ensuring proper implementation of the new UN disability treaty around the world.

Professor Quinn was also recently appointed to the prestigious Advisory Council of the London-based NGO Interights which specialises in mounting test cases around the world on discrimination issues. He joins former President Mary Robinson, Lord Anthony Lester QC, Dean Harold Koh (Yale) and Professor Philip Alston (NYU) among others on the incoming Council.

Professor Quinn said: "This is an honour for me but also for the Faculty of Law at NUI Galway. For some time now we have been developing and encouraging socially useful research as well as orienting students toward public interest law. I intend to use these new openings to advance my own interests in disability law and social justice but also to mentor younger colleagues to open up more public interest outlets in their careers".