Renowned international lawyer, professor and author Philippe Sands KC to deliver keynote address in the Round Hall of the Four Courts.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Daniel O’Connell, The Bar of Ireland is proud to host an edition of its Daniel O’Connell Memorial Lecture on 28 April 2025. The event will feature internationally acclaimed barrister, author, and academic Philippe Sands KC as this year’s keynote speaker.
Event Details
- 6:30 – 8 pm, 28 April 2025 (Arrival from 6.15pm)
- Round Hall, Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin 7
Since 2008, The Bar of Ireland has, from time to time, hosted a lecture to honour the legacy and values of Daniel O’Connell – champion of civil rights, constitutional reform, and the rule of law. The lecture provides a platform to reflect on contemporary themes of justice, democracy, and statehood, rooted in the legacy of one of Ireland’s most significant political and legal figures. Previous addressees of the Memorial Lecture have included President Michael D. Higgins, former President Mary McAleese, alongside those in the diplomatic corps and senior judicial figures from both home and abroad.
Welcoming Philippe Sands KC
This year, The Bar of Ireland will welcome Philippe Sands KC, Professor of Law at University College London and Visiting Professor at Harvard. A leading authority in international law, Sands has represented various high-profile cases before the International Court of Justice and other international tribunals. His award-winning publications have explored the legal and personal dimensions of justice, genocide, and colonial legacy. He recently released a new book entitled 38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia.
Speaking ahead of the lecture, Philippe Sands KC said:
I am so very delighted to return to Ireland to deliver a lecture in honour of Daniel O’Connell, whose ideas on impunity are reflected in my new book, 38 Londres Street. In Dublin I will tell an entwined double tale, of Augusto Pinochet, the Chilean dictator, and Walther Rauff, the old SS man who holed up in Patagonia, and the relevance of the impunities they provoked for these most challenging times, across Europe, the Middle East and the rest of the world, as we struggle with justice and accountability for past and present wrongs, drawing on my own work and cases, and on law and literature.”
The evening will open with an address by Seán Guerin SC, Chair of the Council of The Bar of Ireland, with closing remarks delivered by The Hon. Mr. Justice David Barniville, President of the High Court.
Seán Guerin SC said:
It is a privilege to welcome Philippe Sands KC to deliver this year’s Daniel O’Connell Memorial Lecture. His body of work — whether in the courtroom or through his writing — exemplifies the enduring importance of law in confronting injustice and defending human rights. At a time when these values are increasingly under pressure, Philippe’s voice offers a timely and profound contribution to the legal and public discourse. As we commemorate the legacy of Daniel O’Connell on the 250th anniversary year of his birth, it is fitting that we do so by engaging with ideas that give meaning to the free society he envisioned for Ireland.”
This event is currently booked out and a waiting list is in operation. For more information and to join the waiting list, click the link below.