ILA Irish Branch: Talk by Lord Mance on 11 October 2018

Lord Mance, the Chair of the Executive Council of the International Law Association, was the speaker at a meeting of the Irish branch, on 11 October 2018, in Dublin.  The attendance included the Chief Justice of Ireland, and several members of the High Court of Ireland, as well as branch members and other interested parties, from the public and private sector.

The title of the talk was enticing, both for lawyers and non-lawyers: Judicial No Go areas: How far do and should they exist? The opening paragraph set the scene for a stimulating talk, followed by a question and answer session.

Judicial no-go areas might seem rather sensational as a title. A more sonorous alternative would have been non-justiciability. Neither phrase is particularly familiar in day-to-day law. But, when we start to think, we recognise that there are all sorts of areas where the law does not and cannot tread. And this applies in domestic and in international law.

The evening concluded with a pleasant dinner nearby, on St Stephen’s Green.

The ILA-Irish branch is grateful to Dr David Fennelly and Conor Casey for assisting in arranging the venue, the Law School, TCD, Dublin.

Download a copy of the speech below (PDF)