LawSoc Host Annual Law Conference on Sexual Offences Legislation

UCC Law Society’s 17th Annual Law Conference will take place this year on Tuesday 31st of October in the Aula Maxima. The Conference is known as one of the highlights of the academic year for law students, and this year’s event will be no different, titled ‘The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017: Reforming the Law to Reform in Attitude.’The topical subject will be discussed at the Conference with the view of educating attendees on the newly enacted laws on criminal sexual offences in Ireland. The UCC Law Conference, sponsored by William Fry, is the only student-run professional law conference in Ireland, and provides the opportunity for students as well as legal professionals and academics to engage with this modern legislation. The event will feature a panel of expert speakers, including Noeline Blackwell, CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Tom O’Malley of the Irish Law Reform Commission, Dr. Catherine O’Sullivan, criminal law lecturer at UCC, and Dr. Louise Crowley, Vice Dean at UCC School of Law.Conference Director and final year law student Eabha O’Gorman highly recommended the event, saying: “This year’s Law Conference is a fantastic opportunity for students in UCC to develop a better understanding of legislation enacted in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 and its practical implications in their day-to-day lives as students. The aim of this year’s Conference will be to allow students to grow and develop socially and academically, and to educate and reform attitudes of the students in attendance through the expert research of our speakers.”Dr Crowley, chair of the afternoon session, also strongly endorsed the Conference, and highlighted the university’s efforts to promote a safe environment from students on campus, saying “UCC has developed a bystander initiative programme which recognises that every student in UCC has the capacity to consider others and to act for the benefit of their classmates and friends on campus.” She continued, “It will provide students with a safe environment to better understand social and interpersonal pressures whilst supporting the development of a visible institutional culture which stands against unacceptable behaviour and abuse, and cultivates a culture of positivity and support.”The Conference will begin at 9am and conclude at 2pm. Limited spaces are available for the Conference and those wishing to register should email ConferenceCommittee@UCCLawSociety.com.