Belfast Human Rights Solicitor Darragh Mackin Speaks Alongside Mary Robinson at Dublin Rule of Law Event

Darragh Mackin, Partner at Phoenix Law, spoke alongside former President of Ireland Mary Robinson at What’s Law Got to Do With It?, an event hosted by Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI) in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), Dublin, on Thursday 22 October 2026.

The event brought together leading voices from Ireland, Northern Ireland and further afield to examine the growing pressures on the international legal order, and the role lawyers, governments and institutions must play in defending it. As a Belfast law firm whose work is rooted in human rights and state accountability, Phoenix Law was proud to be represented on the panel.

Mary Robinson’s Keynote: Defending International Law

Delivering the keynote address, Mary Robinson – former President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and member of The Elders – warned of the mounting threats facing international law, from the rise of populism and declining public trust in institutions to sustained pressure on the mechanisms of international accountability.

Mrs Robinson addressed the challenges confronting the International Criminal Court, the situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and the responsibilities of Ireland and the European Union in upholding international law. She also highlighted threats to women’s rights and to women’s participation in political and peace processes.

Importantly, she reminded the audience that international law is not confined to courtrooms. It underpins everyday life – from aviation and cross-border trade to digital communications, vaccines and responses to global health emergencies – and is a foundation for cooperation, human rights and human dignity.

Gerard Keown, Political Director at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, also spoke, reaffirming Ireland’s commitment to multilateralism and to the independence of the International Criminal Court ahead of Ireland’s forthcoming EU Presidency.

Darragh Mackin on the Rule of Law in Action

The panel discussion, moderated by Dr Andrew Forde of Dublin City University, featured Darragh Mackin alongside international human rights lawyer Aonghus Kelly and Zambian constitutional lawyer Linda Kasonde, who joined remotely from Zambia.

Speaking as a human rights solicitor in Belfast, Darragh addressed the pressures facing lawyers who take on difficult and often unpopular cases, and stressed the importance of solidarity within the legal profession in protecting lawyers’ ability to represent their clients without fear.

He pointed to the recent Garvaghy Road case, in which Phoenix Law represented local residents, as an example of the rule of law in action – while emphasising that what happens next matters just as much as the legal process itself.

Aonghus Kelly examined the human rights responsibilities of major technology companies, including those headquartered in Ireland, while Linda Kasonde warned of the spread of impunity and the erosion of democratic institutions and judicial independence, calling for greater international attention to conflicts across Africa, including in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ukrainian Judicial Delegation

The event was attended by a delegation of six Ukrainian judges led by Stanislav Kravchenko, President of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, as part of a judicial study visit to Belfast and Dublin facilitated by IRLI in cooperation with the EU Advisory Mission Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine), with support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Maria McCloskey, Executive Director of IRLI, closed by stressing that the credibility of the rule of law depends on its consistent application, and that it must not become “a system of rules that applies only to the powerless”.

A recording of Mary Robinson’s keynote and highlights from the panel will be released on IRLI’s podcast, The Justice Edit, on YouTube and Podbean.

About Phoenix Law

Phoenix Law is a Belfast law firm with offices in Belfast, Dublin and London, specialising in human rights, state accountability, judicial review, inquests and inquiries, civil litigation and international law. If you need advice from an experienced Belfast solicitor or human rights solicitor in Belfast, please contact our team.