Dr Amina Adanan

    Law

    Lecturer

    New House
    45
    (01) 474 7592

    Biography

    Dr Amina Adanan is a Lecturer/ Assistant Professor in Law in the School of Law and Criminology in Maynooth University where she teaches and researches in the area of human rights law. She publishes in the areas of international justice and Irish property law. Dr. Amina Adanan’s research interests lie in international law, specifically in the area of domestic prosecutions of international crimes, and the history of international law. In 2018, Amina was awarded a Ph.D. in human rights from NUI Galway for her doctoral thesis entitled ‘Allies and enemies, past and present: An analysis of the rationale for the development of universal jurisdiction over serious crimes under international law’. Prior to that Amina completed an MA (International Relations) in DCU and an LL.B and BA International (Legal Science & Italian) in NUI Galway. Before beginning a career in academia, Amina worked in the Free Legal Advice Centres and UNICEF Ireland in research, advocacy and administrative capacities. 

    Research Interests

    Dr. Amina Adanan’s research interests lie in the areas of International Law, International Criminal Law and International Human Rights Law. In particular, Amina researches on the prosecution of atrocity crimes at a domestic and international level and the history of international law. Amina is interested in receiving PhD proposals in these areas.

    Research Projects

    Title Role Description Start date End date Amount
    Advancing the Rights of Prisoners in Ireland Through Strategic Litigation PI Notwithstanding the increase in public interest cases to advance the rights of disadvantaged groups in Ireland, prison law remains under litigated in the State. Working with the leading national CSO advocating for penal reform (Irish Penal Reform Trust), and using desk based research supplemented by semi-structured interviews, AD-PRIS has two aims. First, to draft a strategic litigation policy for the advancement of the prisoners’ rights in Ireland, exploring the legal options that exist at a national, European and international level. Second, to develop a network of stakeholders, legal practitioners and academics with the purpose of initiating such cases. 27/02/2023 27/11/2023 11881.71
    Irish Penal Reform Trust: Access to Rights & Justice for Migrants and Ethnic Minority People in the Penal System in Ireland Co-Principle Investigator This project examines the experiences of migrants and ethnic minorities in the Irish penal system. 01/03/2021 30/11/2021 10000
    Universal Jurisdiction and the UNWCC Principle Investigator This project will interrogate the archives of the United Nations War Crimes Commission (UNWCC) to analyse how universal jurisdiction was exercised under the UNWCC. 01/03/2021 31/10/2021 2500

    Book

    Year Publication
    2020 Amina Adanan and Neil Maddox (2020) Irish Land Law: A Casebook. Dublin: Round Hall Thomson Reuters.

    Book Chapter

    Year Publication
    2020 Amina Adanan (2020) ''Universal Declaration of Human Rights and customary international law'' In: The Universal Declaration at 70: A review of successes and challenges. Dublin : Clarus. [Link]
    2016 Adanan A.; Higgins N. (2016) 'Britain's influence on the regulation of the slave trade in the twentieth century' In: British Influences on International Law, 1915-2015. [DOI]

    Edited Book

    Year Publication
    2020 Noelle Higgins, Amina Adanan, David Doyle and Michael Doherty (Ed.). (2020) The Universal Declaration at 70: A review of successes and challenges. Dublin: Clarus, [Link]

    Peer Reviewed Journal

    Year Publication
    2021 Adanan, A (2021) 'Reflecting on the Genocide Convention in its Eighth Decade How Universal Jurisdiction Developed over Genocide'. Journal of International Criminal Justice, 19 :1039-1065. [DOI]
    2021 Adanan, A (2021) 'United Kingdom Policy Towards Universal Jurisdiction Since the Post-War Period'. International Criminal Law Review, 21 :1025-1063. [DOI]
    2014 Amina Adanan (2014) 'Accountability for Violations of International Humanitarian Law in Domestic Courts: Can War Crimes be Prosecuted in Ireland?'. Irish Yearbook of International Law, 9 :61-87.

    Other Journal

    Year Publication
    2020 Amina Adanan (2020) 'Succession Law and Cohabitation after 10 Years of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010' Conveyancing and Property Law Journal, 4 :70-77.
    2016 Amina Adanan (2016) 'Correspondent report on The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development v. The Southern African Litigation Centre (867/15) [2016] ZASCA 17, Supreme Court of South Africa, 15 March 2016' Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law, .
    2014 Amina Adanan (2014) 'Correspondent report on National Commissioner of the South African Police Service v. Southern African Human Rights Litigation Centre and Another [2014] ZACC 30, Constitutional Court of South Africa, 30 October 2014' Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law, .

    Conference Publication

    Year Publication
    2019 Amina Adanan (2019) DBEI ILO NUI Conference Marking the centenary of the International Labour Organization: The Declaration of Philadelphia Revisited Role of Rapporteur for workshop on 'Sustainable and Decent Advancement for All' [Link]

    Conference Contribution

    Year Publication
    2021 Amina Adanan (2021) 'Examining Universal Jurisdiction as a Counter-hegemonic Tool under International Law' International Criminal Justice- A Counter Hegemonic Project? Berlin University Alliance (online), .
    2021 Amina Adanan (2021) ‘The practice of Universal Jurisdiction under the UNWCC’ conference on the United Nations War Crimes Commission Online, 19/11/2021-.
    2021 Amina Adanan (2021) ‘The exercise of universal jurisdiction during the operation of the UNWCC’ Workshop on the United Nations War Crimes Commission Online, 28/05/2021-.
    2021 Amina Adanan and Mark Chadwick (2021) 'Passing the baton of international justice: The ICC and Universal Jurisdiction' Society of Legal Scholars annual conference 2021 Virtual presentation, .
    2021 Amina Adanan (2021) 'Questioning the universal in universal jurisdiction' Second Annual Workshop on Research Methods in Fundamental Rights Centre for Fundamental Rights, Hertie School, .
    2020 Amina Adanan (2020) ‘Women, Work and International Law’ International Congress on the Legal Protection of Working Women in the University of Malaga Online, .
    2020 Amina Adanan (2020) Response to Professor Laurence Helfer’s paper on ‘Rethinking Derogations from Human Rights Treaties’ International Law and Covid 19 Trinity College Dublin (online), .
    2019 Amina Adanan (2019) ‘The development of universal jurisdiction as a response to violations of human dignity during armed conflict’ Law and Society Association Annual Conference Washington DC, .
    2018 Amina Adanan (2018) IALT annual conference ‘How effective is universal criminal jurisdiction in prosecuting atrocity crimes committed in Syria?’ Athlone, Ireland, .
    2018 Amina Adanan (2018) ‘An analysis of the exercise of universal jurisdiction in the United Kingdom’ Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference Bristol, UK, .
    2018 Amina Adanan (2018) ‘The Genocide Convention at 70 and the universality principle’ Interdisciplinary Conference on the 70th Anniversary of the Genocide Convention Nottingham University, .

    Published Report

    Year Publication
    2022 Doyle, David; Brandon, Avril; Garrihy, Joe; Adanan, Amina; Bracken, Denis (2022) Sometimes I'm missing the words: The rights, needs and experiences of foreign national and minority ethnic groups in the Irish penal system. Irish Penal Reform Trust, . [Link] [Full-Text]

    Blog

    Year Publication
    2021 Avril Brandon, Amina Adanan, David Doyle, Joe Garrihy and Denis Bracken (2021) Exploring the rights and experiences of migrant and minority ethnic groups in the penal system in Ireland. [Blog] [Link]
    2019 Amina Adanan (2019) 'Reflecting on the Genocide Convention at 70: How genocide became a crime subject to universal jurisdiction'. [Blog] [Link]
    2019 Amina Adanan and Jean Molloy (2019) ‘The use of extraterritorial jurisdiction to prosecute returning foreign fighters’. [Blog] [Link]
    2016 Amina Adanan (2016) Domestic Regulation of Universal Jurisdiction–The Role of National Prosecutors. [Blog] [Link]

    Book Review

    Year Publication
    2022 Amina Adanan (2022) Book review of Jeff Handmaker and Karin Arts (eds), Mobilising International Law for ‘Global Justice’ in the Journal of Conflict and Security Law. [Book Review]

    Policy Contribution

    Year Publication
    2022 Amina Adanan, Avril Brandon and Denis Bracken (2022) Training Brief for the Irish Prison Service and Irish Probation Service. Dublin: [Policy Contribution]
    2021 Amina Adanan and Joe Garrihy (2021) Public Consultation on the Review of Prison Rules: Submission to the Irish Prison Service concerning foreign national and ethnic minority prisoners. [Policy Contribution]
    2022 Amina Adanan (2022) Rights-related materials for migrant and ethnic minorities as part of IPRT’s ‘Know Your Rights: Your Rights as a Prisoner’ project. Dublin: [Policy Contribution]
    Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2023) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.

    Professional Associations

    Description Function From / To
    European Society of International Law Member -
    Society of Legal Scholars Member -
    Law and Society Association Member -
    Irish Association of Law Teachers Member -

    Honors and Awards

    Date Title Awarding Body
    01/12/2022 New Foundations Irish Research Council
    01/02/2021 Charlemont Grant Royal Irish Academy
    01/04/2019 MU Conference and Workshop Fund Maynooth University Research Development Office
    01/08/2016 EJ Phelan Fellow in International Law National University of Ireland
    01/01/2014 Doctoral Fellowship Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, NUI Galway

    Committees

    Committee Function From / To
    Law Department Teaching and Learning Committee Member 01/09/2020 -
    Maynooth University Social Justice Week Committee Member 01/09/2019 -
    Law Department Undergraduate Committee Chair of the BA Programme 01/09/2017 - 01/09/2020

    Education

    Start date Institution Qualification Subject
    NUI Galway Ph.D. in Human Rights International Law
    Dublin City University MA in International Relations International Relations
    NUI Galway LL.B Law
    NUI Galway BA (International) Legal Science and Italian

    Languages

    Language Reading Writing Speaking
    French Functional Functional Functional

    Teaching Interests

    Dr. Amina Adanan teaches International Criminal Law on the Masters programmes in the Law Department and Property Law and Fundamental Rights in Ireland to undergraduate BCL students. Since joining the Law Department in 2017, Amina has also taught International Human Rights Law on the Masters programmes and Constitutional Law on the undergraduate law programmes. Prior to joining Maynooth University, Amina lectured in NUI Galway, DCU and in the Centre for Talented Youth, Ireland. Amina has an interest in Teaching and Learning and is currently studying in the Maynooth University Centre for Teaching and Learning.