Jump to Content

Gillian Kane

Dr Gillian Kane

‌

Postdoctoral Researcher Fellow

Contact Details:
Email: gillian.kane@universityofgalway
Twitter: @gilliankane87

Biography

Gillian is a Postdoctoral Researcher based at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, University of Galway. She is currently working on an Irish Research Council COALESCE project exploring human trafficking, forced migration and gender equality in Uganda. Gillian is the module instructor of LW5109 ‘European Migration Law’, part of the International Migration and Refugee Law and Policy LLM at the Irish Centre for Human Rights.

Prior to joining NUI Galway, Gillian completed her PhD research - on the role of international law in preventing and tackling human trafficking among refugees and asylum seekers - in the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast where she also taught EU Law and Constitutional Law. Alongside her role at the University of Galway Gillian is co-chair of the Human Trafficking Research Network (based at QUB Human Rights Centre), a Research Affiliate at the Refugee Law Initiative, and a trustee at Chab Dai UK.

Research Interests

Public International Law
Human Trafficking
Forced Migration
Displacement
Refugee Law
Human Rights Law

Research Outputs

Journal Publications

2023	Comparative International Law: Enhancing Migration Law Enquiry? International Journal of Migration and Border Studies (accepted, publication forthcoming)
2021	‘Building a House upon Sand? Human Trafficking, Forced Labor, and Exploitation of Prostitution in S.M. v Croatia’ (2021) 7(1) International Labor Rights Case Law Journal
2021	Co-authored with John Trajer: ‘V.C.L. and A.N. v. the United Kingdom: Bridging the Gap between Children’s Rights and Anti-Trafficking Law under the ECHR?’ (2021) 7(3) International Labor Rights Case Law Journal
Research Briefs
2022	Co-authored with Rachel Killean: ‘Human Dignity and Human Rights Education’, Centre for the Study of Humanitarian Law, Cambodia
Policy
2021	PhD Co-Lead on the Human Rights Centre at Queen’s University, Belfast Response to the Department of Justice, Northern Ireland Consultation on the Draft Modern Slavery Strategy
2021	Contributed to Input for the United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children’s report on the implementation of the non-punishment principle
Blogs
2022	H.F. and Others v France: The Protection Implications of Restrictive Approach to Jurisdiction, The ILA Reporter
2022	‘Tackling the Climate Change-Migration-Human Trafficking Nexus in the East and Horn of Africa: Signs of Promise in the Kampala Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change?’ Refugee Law Initiative
2022	‘Addressing Human Trafficking among Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Uganda: A Role for Human Rights Treaty Bodies?’ Irish Centre for Human Rights
2022	‘”Human Dignity” as a Tool for Human Rights Education in Cambodian Law Schools’, New Mandala, co-authored with Rachel Killean
2021	‘Who is a Trafficked Person? The Case of Shamima Begum suggests that ‘Ideal Victim’ Narratives persist, more than 20 years after the Adoption of the Palermo Protocol’, Refugee Law Initiative, co-authored with Saskia Wishart
2021	‘The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum: A Missed Opportunity to Strengthen Protection against Human Trafficking?’, Crossroads Europe
2020	‘Channel Crossings: Acknowledging Complexity; Seeking Clarity’, Network for Migration Matters
2020	‘UN Treaty Bodies: A vehicle through which rights can be protected in the context of Migration?, Network for Migration Matters
2020	‘20 Years of Tackling Human Trafficking at the UN’ Network for Migration Matters

Conference Participation/Invited Talks

Jun. 2022	Sixth Annual Refugee Law Initiative Conference (Onlime), ‘Enhancing Refugee Protection: Why we Need to Talk about Anti-Trafficking Law’
Mar. 2022	Invited speaker for Network for Migration Matters (Online): ‘Dangerous Journeys’
Apr. 2021	SLS PhD Workshop on International Law (Online) ‘The Role of International Human Rights Law in Preventing and Tackling Human Trafficking among Refugees and Asylum Seekers: Gap-Filler, Main ‘Normative Frame’ or ‘Not Enough’?
Apr. 2021	Invited speaker at Institute for International Relations, Prague (Online): Human Trafficking, Refugees, and International Law
Mar. 2021	2021 Cambridge International Law Conference (Online) ‘How a Comparative International Law Approach Can Enhance Understanding of the Role of International Law in Addressing Human Trafficking in the Asylum Context’
Nov. 2020	Invited speaker for Network for Migration Matters (Online): ‘The EU Pact on Migration Unpacked’
Oct. 2020	Invited speaker at QUB Women in Law Seminar (Online): ‘Starting Your Journey in Law’
Sep. 2020	Judicial Studies Intstitute, Masaryk University, Brno (Online) ‘An Effective Tool in the Toolbox? An Assessment of the Potential Role of International and Regional Refugee and Asylum Law in Addressing Trafficking Among Refugees and Asylum Seekers’
Sep. 2020	QUB Human Rights Centre PGR Symposium 2020 (Online) ‘Preventing and Tackling Trafficking among Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A Role for International and Regional Refugee and Asylum Law?
Aug. 2020	QUB Law SRN Summer Seminar Series: Human Rights Seminar (Online) ‘Promise or Peril? An Assessment of Recent ECtHR Case Law of Relevance to the Situation of Refugees and Asylum Seekers’
Jun. 2020	UACES Graduate Forum (Online) ‘Preventing and Tackling Trafficking among Refugees and Asylum Seekers - A Role for International Anti-Trafficking Law?’
Jun. 2019	Panel Chair, Refugee Law Initiative- Fourth Annual Conference (London), session entitled: ‘Integration and other Solutions for Refugees’
May. 2019	First Annual Postgraduate Conference of the Faculty of AHSS, Queen’s University Belfast, ‘Human Trafficking and Smuggling: The Necessity of Definitional Clarity in the Pursuit of Effective Legal Analysis’