Mark Kelly LL.B. (Hons.), M.Sc., M.Phil (Director)

Mark Kelly is an international human rights lawyer, and founder of the independent consultancy firm Human Rights Consultants (HRC).  His clients have included the United Nations, the European Union and the Council of Europe, as well as a number of international and Irish non-governmental organisations.  He has been retained as an expert adviser on human rights and training issues by both An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and has been a guest inspector for the Irish Inspectorate of Prisons and Places of Detention.
Before founding HRC, he lived in Strasbourg for ten years, where he worked as Head of Unit in the Secretariat of the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT).  In that role, he supervised the CPT’s human rights monitoring and reporting activities in relation to more than a dozen Council of Europe member States, including Ireland.  He continues to work as an expert adviser to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and the United Nations Sub-Committee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT).
Educated at the Universities of Dundee, Edinburgh and Cambridge, Mark has lectured and published extensively in the areas of human rights and criminal justice, the prevention of ill-treatment and combating racism.  He currently lectures on human rights in the School of Politics and International Relations, University College, Dublin, and on the European Masters Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation (University of Padua, at Venice).

Tanya Ward, BA (Hons), M.Phil, LLM, Cert. Management (Deputy Director)

Tanya joined the ICCL in 2003 as the ICCL’s Senior Research and Policy Officer. Formerly she worked in a research and policy capacity for the Irish Centre for Migration Studies, the Irish Refugee Council, the Curriculum Development Unit and the City of Dublin VEC. Tanya has authored several major reports, papers and articles in the field of education for migrants/refugees, race equality, human rights, policing and judicial independence. Tanya also has extensive experience in the education sphere of managing and leading teams, providing strategic input and contributing to national policy development.
Tanya has extensive experience in reporting and advocating before international human rights monitoring mechanisms and delivers courses in International Human Rights Law for M.Phil in Ethnic and Racial Studies in Trinity College Dublin and the MSC in Equality Studies at University College Dublin. She was elected to the International Board of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in April 2007. Tanya also holds a BA (Hons) and M.Phil from University College Cork, a LLM in International Human Rights   Law from Queens University Belfast, and a Certificate in Managing Organisations in the Community and Voluntary Sector from the National College of Ireland. Tanya is currently pursuing a PhD on a part-time basis at the UCD School of Social Justice. 

Tel: (01) 799 4506

Deirdre Duffy, BCL, LLM, BL, MSc  (Research and Policy Officer)

Deirdre Duffy joined the ICCL as Research and Policy Officer in 2007.  She conducts research and prepares policy documents on issues of equality, criminal justice and international human rights for submission to national and international bodies. She holds an LLM in Human Rights Law and International Criminal Law from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in Human Rights and Politics from University College Dublin. She is a barrister and has previously worked as a policy advisor with the Scottish Executive Justice Department and as a legal researcher with the Houses of the Oireachtas.  

Tel: (01) 799 4530 

Karen Ciesielski B.A., M.A., Dip. Bus. Studies (Fundraising Officer)

Karen Ciesielski joined the ICCL in July 2006 and is responsible for planning and overseeing ICCL’s fundraising activities. Karen works with other ICCL staff members to raise much needed funds from individuals, corporates, trusts and foundations. She also provides support and feedback to supporters and funders of the ICCL, keeping them up to date on our current projects and programmes and, most importantly, how their money is being spent.  
Karen comes to the ICCL with 7 years of experience in fundraising and campaign planning within the non-profit sector, both in Ireland and the U.S. Prior to joining the ICCL team, Karen worked as Campaigns Manager in the Irish Hospice Foundation and as Campus Organiser/Assistant Campaign Director with the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group, based in Hartford,Connecticut.

Tel: (01) 799 4508

Walter Jayawardene B.A., M.A., PGDip(PR) (Campaigns and Communications Officer)  

Walter Jayawardene took up the post of Campaigns and Communications Officer in May 2008, and is responsible for the implementation of the ICCL’s campaigns and communications strategy. Walter was educated in European and Middle-Eastern languages, history and politics at Trinity College, Dublin and the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations from the Fitzwilliam Institute. Prior to joining the ICCL, Walter worked as Resources and Communications Coordinator at the Kurdish Human Rights Project in London.

Tel:  (01) 799 4503 Press Phone: 087 9981574

Suzanne Handley (Organisational Development Manager)

 Suzanne Handley joined the ICCL in August 2008. Suzanne is responsible for the office operations and accounting functions in the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.  Suzanne has extensive experience from the commercial sector in accounting and operational departments in the recruitment, property and service industries.

Tel: (01) 799 4505

Joanne Garvey, B.A. (Administrator)

Joanne Garvey joined the ICCL in May 2007. Joanne previously worked in a finance department in the corporate sector and prior to that managed administration and finance at a private school.  Joanne holds a degree in English and Media & Communication Studies.

Tel:  (01) 799 4504

Stephen O'Hare,  B.A. M.Sc. (Equality  Officer)

Stephen is currently Equality Officer for the ICCL.. Prior to joining the ICCL Stephen worked as  Research and Policy Officer with Pavee Point, the national Traveller organisation; Research Officer for the National Council on Ageing and Older People; Consultant Researcher for the Health Services Executive and as an independent social researcher.   Stephen holds a B.A., in Philosophy and Political Science and an M.Sc. in Applied Social Research from Trinity College Dublin.  

Tel: (01) 799 548 

 Sinéad Skelly                                                  

Sinéad is currently engaged in a six month EU Criminal Justice Internship with ICCL. She holds an LLB from Trinity College Dublin and an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Oxford. As a student, she served on the Editorial Board of the Trinity College Law Review. In the summer of 2010 Sinéad completed an internship with the Department of Justice and Equality. As part of this internship, Sinéad was engaged as legal researcher to the Advisory Committee on Garda Interviewing of Suspects. Sinéad has a particular interest in criminal law, human rights law and criminal justice issues. She intends to practise in the future.