Dr Síofra O'Leary awarded honorary LLD degree by the University of Edinburgh
Fri 12 July 2024
Dr Síofra O'Leary, who has recently completed her term as President of the European Court of Human Rights, was awarded the honorary degree of LLD by the University of Edinburgh during the Law School graduation ceremony on 10 July 2024. Dr O’Leary’s laureation address was given by Professor Niamh Nic Shuibhne, who also co-sponsored her nomination.
Dr O’Leary’s formidable career path has often intersected with Edinburgh Law School, most notably in 2017 when she delivered the Europa Institute’s prestigious Mitchell Lecture. Dr O’Leary has also contributed to workshops designed to support the development of early career and PhD researchers at the Law School.
In 2022, Dr O’Leary made history by becoming the first woman elected as President of the European Court. During her now-completed term, she steered the Court through some of its most challenging years, emphasising that the protection of human rights must be both practical and effective.
In addition to her work at the European Court of Human Rights and, previously, at the Court of Justice of the European Union, Dr O’Leary has published widely and held teaching appointments at several institutions, including the University of Cambridge and the College of Europe. She also served as joint editor of the of the Common Market Law Review[NN1] , one of the leading academic journals in the field of EU studies.
About Dr O’Leary’s award, Professor Nic Shuibhne said: “My co-sponsor, Professor Sir David Edward, and I are delighted to see Dr O’Leary honoured in this way by the University of Edinburgh. She is an outstanding role model for our graduates in so many ways - through the excellence of her academic work, her ground-breaking appointment as President of the European Court of Human Rights, and the integrity and grace that define her contributions to law and to the wider world”.
Image credit: Douglas Robertson