Cian Ó Concubhair

Law

Assistant Professor in Criminal Justice

Biography

Cian joined the Department of Law and Criminology as Assistant Professor in Criminal Justice in July 2020.

Prior to joining Maynooth, Cian was a lecturer in criminal law and jurisprudence at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, and lecturer in criminal law at the University of Southampton.

Cian teaches across law and criminology, with a particular emphasis on criminal law and policing.

Cian's specialist modules are Policing and the State (undergraduate criminology), and Global Policing (MA comparative criminology and criminal justice).

Cian also co-teaches the core criminal law modules for first and second year undergraduate law and criminology students.

Cian's research interests are in policing, criminal law, news media, legitimacy theory, sociology of political dissent and state responses, and the philosophy of punishment.

Cian's doctoral research examined police-media relations, and the power of news media and policing in England in the aftermath of the Leveson Inquiry.

Cian's current activities are largely centred on the following: 
  • police legitimacy, governance, and accountability: with a particular focus on legitimation strategies and practices of elite decision-makers in the criminal justice system
  • policing of protest
  • police-media relations
  • the law governing confidential source protection for journalists
  • the role of policing in child protection
  • changes and declines in traditional news media, and its implications for public understandings of 'crime problems' and fear of crime
  • the philosophical foundations of joint enterprise liability in criminal law
  • the philosophical connection between criminal law and punishment theories and practices.
In previous years, Cian has also worked on various research projects in the areas of historic/non-recent sexual violence, restorative justice, child protection, and policing policy and practice.

Cian has been the recipient of numerous academic scholarships and awards, including the Hackney BCL Scholarship at Wadham College, the Henry Hamilton Hunter Prize for graduating top of his LLB class, and was also elected to the prestigious Foundation Scholarship at Trinity College Dublin. 

Cian is a graduate of both Trinity College Dublin (LL.B), and the University of Oxford (BCL, DPhil).

Before beginning his academic life, Cian trained and worked as a stone mason, specialising in architectural stone cutting, carving and restoration. 

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