Dr Sinéad Ring

    Law

    Lecturer

    New House
    209
    (01) 4747776

    Biography

    Dr Ring's research explores legal and institutional responses to sexual violence. Dr Ring is the author of numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and is lead author (with Kate Gleeson and Kim Stevenson) of Child Sexual Abuse Reported by Adult Survivors: Legal Responses in England and Wales, Ireland and Australia (Routledge, 2022). The monograph has been described by the Head of Abuse Law at Slater and Gordon, Richard Scorer, as "a key text for academics and practitioners in this field."

    Dr Ring is a member of the editorial board of Social and Legal Studies. 

    In 2020 she was appointed by the Minister for Justice for a statutory five year term to the Judicial Council's Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee. 

    In 2019 Dr Ring co-authored the Framework for Consent in Irish Higher Education Institutions. https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/678fee-framework-for-consent-in-higher-education-institutions-safe which sets out a new vision of how Irish HEIs can combat sexual violence and harassment against students. Dr Ring continues this work with the Higher Education Authority and at Maynooth University where she chairs the University's Consent Framework Implementation Group.

    Dr Ring is a graduate of University College Cork (first class honours BCL (Law and German), LLM (Criminal Justice) and PhD. Her doctoral studies were funded by the Irish Research Council. Prior to joining Maynooth, Dr Ring was a Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of Graduate Studies at Kent Law School in Canterbury, UK. She has also taught law at NUI Galway and University College Cork, and has held visiting positions at Osgoode Hall, Harvard Law School, Melbourne Law School and University of Technology, Sydney.

    Dr Ring has supervised numerous students to completion and is currently supervising two PhD students: 
    Chloë Cass, "Left Out in the Cold: The Vulnerable Plaintiff in the Civil System"
    and 
    Kate Duffy, "Ireland's Surveillance Society: How Surveillance Practices Contributed to the Gendered Oppression of Irish Women." (With Dr Ciara Bracken-Roche).

    Dr Ring welcomes potential research students in sexual violence and the law; law and gender; feminist legal studies; criminal law; the law of evidence and criminal justice. 

    Dr Ring teaches The Law of Evidence, Criminal Law, Gender Sexuality and Law. At the postgraduate level she has designed the first and only Master's course on questions of justice for historical gendered human rights abuses;  State Responses to Historical Gendered Violence is available to all MA and LLM students. 
     
    She is happy to answer media queries about criminal law and evidence, criminal justice and sexual violence. Dr Ring tweets regularly about these issues @sineadring. 

    Research Interests

    Sinéad’s research explores how law creates social, cultural and political meanings about historical child sexual abuse for victim-survivors, perpetrators, institutional actors, and society. Using insights from psychology, political theory and criminology, her work unpacks law’s discursive power (in civil and criminal law and in commissions of inquiry), and imagines better legal responses to historical child sexual abuse.  Sinéad’s research on historical child sexual abuse has been funded by the Irish Research Council and the Socio Legal Studies Association. She has published in numerous international journals including The International Journal of Evidence and Proof and Social and Legal Studiesand edited collections.  

    Sinéad is also interested in legal responses to sexual violence against adults. The first strand of this work is around the role of law in the production of knowledge about sexual violence. She has published on the admission of counselling and therapeutic records in rape trials, and on the notion of consent to sexual intercourse in Irish law. The second strand of this work relates to the role of employment and anti-discrimination law in combatting sexual misconduct in higher education. At the University of Kent Sinéad was instrumental in the design of institution-wide policies on responding to and preventing sexual violence against students, and in successfully bidding for Higher Education Funding Council for England funds to support implementation of these polices. In November 2018 Sinéad was appointed by Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor, T.D. to the Expert Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions. The group’s report, Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive. Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutionswas published in April 2019 and is available online here. The Report provides a framework for sectoral change to foster positive institutional cultures of respect, dignity and integrity that are effective in tackling sexual misconduct.  Sinéad is an editorial board member of feminists@law, an online open access journal of feminist legal scholarship (available online here).  

    Sinéad is happy to supervise research students working in the following areas: institutional violence and the State; sexual violence and the law; law and gender; feminist legal studies; criminal law; evidence law and criminal justice.       

    Research Projects

      Project Role Funding Body / Program Description Start Date End Date Award (€)
    Sexual Experience Evidence and the Rape Trial PI Irish Research Council (IRC) / New Foundations This project will be submitted under strand 1a of the New Foundations Scheme 16-DEC-22 15-SEP-23 11999
    Thematic Analysis of Universities' Procedures on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence involving Students and Staff. Principal Investigator Maynooth University / Non Commercial 01-FEB-22 28-FEB-22 527
    Comparative Examination of University and HEI Policies and Procedures on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence involving Students and Staff Principal Investigator Maynooth University / Non Commercial 01-JAN-22 31-MAR-22 1318
    Transitional Justice Processes as Archives of Collective Memory. The Case of Institutional Child Abuse. Principal Investigator Royal Irish Academy / RIA / Non Commercial 01-NOV-21 31-MAR-22 2500
    Transitional Justice and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Principal Investigator / Non Commercial 01-JAN-21 31-DEC-22 1000
    The Prosecution of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Ireland. Principal Investigator Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences / IRCHSS / Government State Bodies 48000
    Violence against Wo/men on Campus Project. University of Kent Co-Investigator / Government State Bodies 01-JUN-17 31-MAY-17 50000
    Is Redemption Possible Here? Law and Non-Recent Child Sexual Abuse. Principal Investigator / 01-JAN-17 31-DEC-18 2500
    Wilful Ignorance? Exploring the Irish State's Failure to Protect Children From Sexual Abuse 1950-1990 Principal Investigator / Non Commercial 01-NOV-16 01-JUN-17 1767
    Porter PhD. Prosecuting Domestic Violence in England and Wales PhD supervisor / Non Commercial 01-SEP-14 30-JUL-18 50000
    Law and Society Conference Principal Investigator National University of Ireland Galway / Non Commercial 01-MAY-11 01-JUL-11 1000
    Research Visit at Harvard Law School Principal Investigator / Non Commercial 01-MAR-10 01-AUG-10 1500
    PhD Project Year 1. Due Process and Historic Child Sexual Abuse Principal Investigator / Non Commercial 01-OCT-07 30-SEP-08 24000

    Books

      Year Publication
    2022 Child Sexual Abuse Reported by Adult Survivors: Legal Responses in England and Wales, Ireland and Australia.
    Ring S.;Gleeson K.;Stevenson K. (2022) Child Sexual Abuse Reported by Adult Survivors: Legal Responses in England and Wales, Ireland and Australia. [DOI] [Details]

    Peer Reviewed Journals

      Year Publication
    2022 'Applications to halt the trial of charges of non-recent child sexual abuse. The People (D.P.P.) v. C.Ce [2019] I.E.S.C. 94'
    Sinéad Ring (2022) 'Applications to halt the trial of charges of non-recent child sexual abuse. The People (D.P.P.) v. C.Ce [2019] I.E.S.C. 94'. Irish Supreme Court Review, 3 [Details]
    2023 'Historical Gendered Institutional Violence: A Research Agenda for Criminologists'
    Lynsey Black and Sinéad Ring (2023) 'Historical Gendered Institutional Violence: A Research Agenda for Criminologists'. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 39 (1):17-37 [DOI] [Details]
    2021 'Confronting the past and changing the future? Public inquiries into institutional child abuse, Ireland and Australia'
    Kate Gleeson; Sinéad Ring (2021) 'Confronting the past and changing the future? Public inquiries into institutional child abuse, Ireland and Australia'. Griffith Law Review, 29 (1):109-133 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2020 'State Legal Responses to Historical Institutional Abuse: Shame, Sovereignty, and Epistemic Injustice'
    Mairead Enright; Sinéad Ring (2020) 'State Legal Responses to Historical Institutional Abuse: Shame, Sovereignty, and Epistemic Injustice'. Eire-Ireland; a journal of Irish studies, 55 (1 & 2):68-100 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2017 'Trauma and the construction of suffering in Irish historical child sexual abuse prosecutions'
    Sinéad Ring (2017) 'Trauma and the construction of suffering in Irish historical child sexual abuse prosecutions'. International Journal For Crime, Justice And Social Democracy, 6 (3):88-103 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2017 'The Victim of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in the Irish Courts 1999–2006'
    Sinéad Ring (2017) 'The Victim of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in the Irish Courts 1999–2006'. Social and Legal Studies, 26 (5):562-580 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2015 '“Sexual Offence Complainants and Credibility: Why Virginity Testing is Pointless. R v L [2015] EWCA Crim 741.”'
    Sinéad Ring (2015) '“Sexual Offence Complainants and Credibility: Why Virginity Testing is Pointless. R v L [2015] EWCA Crim 741.”'. Journal of Criminal Law, 79 (6):385-388 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2015 'Abortion Law in Ireland: A Model for Change'
    Enright, M., Conway, V., De Londras, F. , Fletcher, R., McGuinness, S., Ui Chonnachtaigh, S., McDonnell, N. Murray, C., Ring, S., Donnelly, M. (2015) 'Abortion Law in Ireland: A Model for Change'. Feminists at Law, 5 (1):1-32 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2015 'General Scheme of Access to Abortion Bill”'
    Enright, M. ; Conway, V.; De Londras, F.; Fletcher, R.; McGuinness, S.; Ui Chonnachtaigh, S.; McDonnell, N.; Murray, C.; Ring, S. and Donnelly, M. (2015) 'General Scheme of Access to Abortion Bill”'. Feminists at Law, 5 (1):18-50 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2014 'Analysing 'Fairness in Context' in Historic Child Sexual Abuse Prohibition Applications'
    Ring, Sinéad (2014) 'Analysing 'Fairness in Context' in Historic Child Sexual Abuse Prohibition Applications'. Irish Criminal Law Journal, 23 (4):132-141 [full-text] [Details]
    2012 'Due Process and the Admission of Expert Evidence on Recovered Memory in Historic Child Sexual Abuse Cases: Lessons from America'
    Ring, Sinéad (2012) 'Due Process and the Admission of Expert Evidence on Recovered Memory in Historic Child Sexual Abuse Cases: Lessons from America'. International Journal of Evidence and Proof, 16 (1):66-92 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2009 'Beyond the Reach of Justice? Complainant Delay in Historic Child Sexual Abuse Cases and the Right to a Fair Trial.”'
    Ring, Sinéad (2009) 'Beyond the Reach of Justice? Complainant Delay in Historic Child Sexual Abuse Cases and the Right to a Fair Trial.”'. Judicial Studies Institute Journal, 2 :162-203 [full-text] [Details]

    Book Chapters

      Year Publication
    2022 'State Legal Responses to Historical Institutional Abuse: Shame, Sovereignty and Epistemic Injustice'
    Máiréad Enright and Sinéad Ring (2022) 'State Legal Responses to Historical Institutional Abuse: Shame, Sovereignty and Epistemic Injustice' In: JM Smith, K. O'Donnell and M. O'Rourke (eds). Redress: Ireland and Justice in Transition. Dublin: UCD Press. [Details]
    2019 'State shame, sovereignty, and legal responses to historical institutional abuse'
    Ring S.;Enright M. (2019) 'State shame, sovereignty, and legal responses to historical institutional abuse' In: Philosophical Perspectives on Contemporary Ireland. [Details]
    2018 '‘Our most precious possession of all.’ The Survivor of Historical Child Sexual Abuse as the Ideal Victim?”'
    Sinéad Ring (2018) '‘Our most precious possession of all.’ The Survivor of Historical Child Sexual Abuse as the Ideal Victim?”' In: Marian Duggan (eds). Revisiting the Ideal Victim Concept. Developments in Critical Victimology. Bristol: Bristol University Press. [Details]
    2018 'On ‘delay’ and ‘duration’. Law’s Temporal Orders in Historical Child Sexual Abuse Cases'
    Sinéad Ring (2018) 'On ‘delay’ and ‘duration’. Law’s Temporal Orders in Historical Child Sexual Abuse Cases' In: Sian Beynon-Jones and Emily Grabham (eds). Law and Time. London: Routledge. [DOI] [Details]
    2017 'DPP v C. A Feminist Judgment on Consent in Rape Law'
    Eilionóir Flynn and Sinéad Ring (2017) 'DPP v C. A Feminist Judgment on Consent in Rape Law' In: Enright, M, McCandless, J and O’Donoghue, A (eds). Northern/Irish Feminist Judgments. Judges' Troubles and the Gendered Politics of Identity. London: Bloomsbury. [Details]

    Other Journals

      Year Publication
    2014 'The Pernicious Nature of Rape Myths and how they continue to Affect Rape Prosecutions'
    Sinéad Ring (2014) 'The Pernicious Nature of Rape Myths and how they continue to Affect Rape Prosecutions' Feminists at Law, 4 (1) . [DOI] [Details]
    2009 'Justice Denied? An Analysis of the Difficulties facing Applicants for Prohibition in Delayed Prosecutions for Child Sexual Abuse'
    Sinéad Ring (2009) 'Justice Denied? An Analysis of the Difficulties facing Applicants for Prohibition in Delayed Prosecutions for Child Sexual Abuse' First Law Criminal Law Online, . [Details]
    2006 'Collateral Challenges to a Declaration of Unconstitutionality: A v Governor of Arbour Hill Prison [2006] IESC 45”'
    Sinéad Ring (2006) 'Collateral Challenges to a Declaration of Unconstitutionality: A v Governor of Arbour Hill Prison [2006] IESC 45”' Irish Student Law Review (Journal of the Honourable Society of King's Inns), 14 :245-254. [full-text] [Details]

    Published Reports

      Year Publication
    2020 Irish Universities Association Guidance for Universities. How to Respond to Alleged Staff or Student or University Related Sexual Misconduct.
    Tony McMahon and Sinéad Ring (2020) Irish Universities Association Guidance for Universities. How to Respond to Alleged Staff or Student or University Related Sexual Misconduct. Irish Universities Association, Dublin. [full-text] [Details]
    2019 Safe Respectful, Supportive and Positive. Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions.
    A. Looney, T. Browne, S. Cahill, L. Crowley, D. McLean, A. Power, P. MacNeela, S. Ring, C. Saidléar, (2019) Safe Respectful, Supportive and Positive. Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions. Government of Ireland, www.gov.ie. [full-text] [Details]
    2019 Prosecuting Sexual Offences.
    His Honour P. Rook (Chair); A. Rafferty; I. Bing; A. Rothwell; C. Yates; C. Rose; D. Calvert-Smith, D.; G. Akerman; J. Faure Walker; L. Tapper; L. Orrett; M. Lamb; N. Barnard; N. Lankey; P. Carter; V. Baird; S. Ring; T. Dempster, T.; V. Dow; T. Desai, T. (Rapporteur) (2019) Prosecuting Sexual Offences. JUSTICE, https://justice.org.uk/our-work/criminal-justice-system/prosecuting-sexual-offences/. [full-text] [Details]
    2006 Prosecution Appeals and Pre-Trial Hearings (LRC 81-2006).
    Sinéad Ring (2006) Prosecution Appeals and Pre-Trial Hearings (LRC 81-2006). Law Reform Commission, Dublin. [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2004 A Fiscal Prosecutor and a Revenue Court (LRC 2004).
    Glen Gibbons and Sinead Ring (2004) A Fiscal Prosecutor and a Revenue Court (LRC 2004). Law Reform Commission, Dublin. [DOI] [full-text] [Details]

    Conference Publications

      Year Publication
    2009 Allegations of Sex Offending and the Rights of the Accused
    Sinéad Ring (2009) Allegations of Sex Offending and the Rights of the Accused Perspectives on Sex Offending: the Victim and the Offender , pp.35-37 [Details]

    Conference Contributions

      Year Publication
    2018 Event at Mansion House Dublin.
    Sinéad Ring (2018) Event at Mansion House Dublin. [Chaired Session], Dublin Honours Magdalenes, Mansion House [Details]
    2023 International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.
    Sinéad Ring (2023) International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. [Invited Lecture], Taking Survivors Seriously: What Practitioners can Learn from the Law's Engagement with Adults Reporting Childhood Sexual Abuse, Online international webinar [Details]
    2021 Presentation to Irish Prison Service.
    Sinéad Ring (2021) Presentation to Irish Prison Service. [Invited Lecture], Current Developments in the law and policy on sexual violence, Smithfield [Details]
    2021 Invited keynote for event on the National Consent Framework organised by NUIG Vice President for Equality Diversity and Inclusion Prof Ann Scott.
    Sinéad Ring (2021) Invited keynote for event on the National Consent Framework organised by NUIG Vice President for Equality Diversity and Inclusion Prof Ann Scott. [Keynote Address], Reflections on Irish Universities' Implemention of the Consent Framework, NUI Galway [Details]
    2020 International Women's Day Spotlight on Gender, Feminist and Sexuality Research at Maynooth University.
    Sinéad Ring (2020) International Women's Day Spotlight on Gender, Feminist and Sexuality Research at Maynooth University. [Invited Oral Presentation], Legal Responses to Historical Child Sexual Abuse, Maynooth University [Details]
    2019 Stealthing and the Criminal Law.
    Sinéad Ring (2019) Stealthing and the Criminal Law. [Public presentations], Public Lecture to Celebrate 20 Anniversary of Brussels School of International Studies, Brussels School of International Studies [Details]
    2018 NUI Galway Research Seminar Series.
    Máiréad Enright and Sinéad Ring (2018) NUI Galway Research Seminar Series. [Invited Lecture], Exploring the notion of shame in legal and political responses to historical gender based violence.”, NUI Galway [Details]
    2016 University of Technology Sydney Faculty of Law Seminar Series.
    Sinead Ring (2016) University of Technology Sydney Faculty of Law Seminar Series. [Invited Lecture], State Complicity in Historic Child Sexual Abuse in Ireland, Sydney Australia [Details]
    2015 School of Law and Government, Dublin City University,.
    Sinead Ring (2015) School of Law and Government, Dublin City University,. [Invited Lecture], Researching Child Sexual Abuse in the Archives”, School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, Ireland, 11 November, 2015. chives”, School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, Irelan, Dublin City University [Details]
    2015 Melbourne Law School Research Series.
    Sinéad Ring (2015) Melbourne Law School Research Series. [Invited Lecture], Is Redemption Possible Here? Developing an Ethics of Memory for Historical Childhood Sexual Abuse in ireland, Melbourne, Australia [Details]
    2023 Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
    Sinéad Ring (2023) Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. [Plenary Lecture], Conference on Redress for Child Abuse, London [Details]
    2013 Trauma in Historical Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions.
    Sinéad Ring (2013) Trauma in Historical Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions. [Oral Presentation], North South Criminology Conference, University College Cork [Details]
    2018 Historical Child Sexual Abuse and Trauma and the Nation's Duty to Remember.
    Sinéad Ring (2018) Historical Child Sexual Abuse and Trauma and the Nation's Duty to Remember. [Oral Presentation], The 20th Century as the Children's Century, University of Warwick [Details]
    2018 Universities Efforts to end Sexual Violence against Students.
    Sinéad Ring (2018) Universities Efforts to end Sexual Violence against Students. [Oral Presentation], Understanding New Rape Cultures, University College Dublin [Details]
    2015 Trauma as a Legal Category.
    Sinéad Ring (2015) Trauma as a Legal Category. [Keynote Address], Expert Evidence under the Microscope, University of Southampton [Details]
    2019 Launch of UCC Bystander Intervention programme.
    Sinéad Ring (2019) Launch of UCC Bystander Intervention programme. [Public presentations], Launch of UCC Bystander Intervention Programme, University College Cork [Details]
    2022 Lecture to Critical Victimology MA.
    Sinéad Ring (2022) Lecture to Critical Victimology MA. [Invited Lecture], Christie's Ideal Victim and The Survivor of Non-Recent Child Sexual Abuse, University of Limerick , 29-NOV-22 - 29-NOV-22 [Details]
    2020 University of Birmingham Gender Research Group.
    Sinéad Ring (2020) University of Birmingham Gender Research Group. [Invited Lecture], Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in Irish Universities, Virtual [Details]
    2020 Panel Discussion - Consent at Maynooth University. Virtual Panel with Students.
    Sinéad Ring (2020) Panel Discussion - Consent at Maynooth University. Virtual Panel with Students. [Invited Oral Presentation], Effective Procedures for Reporting and Investigating Reports of Sexual Misconduct against Students, Virtual [Details]
    2020 Maynooth University International Women's Day Event. Meet the Silence Breaker Laura Madden.
    Sinéad Ring (2020) Maynooth University International Women's Day Event. Meet the Silence Breaker Laura Madden. [Public presentations], Discussant, Maynooth University , 05-MAR-20 [Details]
    2019 Irish Association of Law Teachers Conference.
    Sinéad Ring (2019) Irish Association of Law Teachers Conference. [Oral Presentation], Child Abuse Inquiries- Law, Justice, Records and the Creation of Public History, Limerick , 22-NOV-19 - 24-NOV-19 [Details]
    2018 Irish Conference of Historians. Sex Sexuality and Reproduction. Historical Perspectives.
    Sinead Ring (2018) Irish Conference of Historians. Sex Sexuality and Reproduction. Historical Perspectives. [Oral Presentation], Resisting the Harms of ‘Innocence’ through Memories: an alternative histo- ry of child sexual abuse in Ireland, University College Cork , 26-APR-18 - 28-APR-18 [Details]
    2018 Dublin City University International Workshop on Law of Evidence and Criminal Procedure.
    Sinéad Ring (2018) Dublin City University International Workshop on Law of Evidence and Criminal Procedure. [Oral Presentation], #MeToo and the Rape Shield in Evidence Law, Dublin City University [Details]
    2018 Boston College International Conference on Transitional Justice, Truth-telling, and the Legacy of Institutional Abus.
    Máiread Enright and Sinéad Ring (2018) Boston College International Conference on Transitional Justice, Truth-telling, and the Legacy of Institutional Abus. [Plenary Lecture], “Shame, Sovereignty and Irish Legal Responses to Historical State Violence”, Boston, USA [Details]
    2017 Northumbria University: Archival Accountability Gap- Is Is There a Democratic Deficit in Archives?.
    Sinead Ring (2017) Northumbria University: Archival Accountability Gap- Is Is There a Democratic Deficit in Archives?. [Invited Lecture], “Historical Child Sexual Abuse Inquiries and the Nation's Duty to Remember: Reflections from Ireland. Conference: Is there a Democratic Deficit in Archives?, Northumbria University , 24-JAN-17 - 26-JAN-17 [full-text] [Details]
    2016 Abortion: the unfinished revolution.
    Sinéad Ring and Clíona Saidléar (2016) Abortion: the unfinished revolution. [Oral Presentation], Rape survivors access to abortion, Belfast [Details]
    2016 Institute for Advanced Legal Studies Workshop. Valuing Expertise: Legal, Normative and Social Dimensions.
    Sinéad Ring and Gethin Rees (2016) Institute for Advanced Legal Studies Workshop. Valuing Expertise: Legal, Normative and Social Dimensions. [Invited Lecture], The Co-Production and Destabilisation of Rape Trauma Syndrome, Institute for Advanced Legal Studies , 20-SEP-16 - 20-SEP-16 [Details]
    2016 University of Ulster: Abortion and Reproductive Justice - the Unfinished Revolution II.
    Sinéad Ring and Clíona Saidléar (2016) University of Ulster: Abortion and Reproductive Justice - the Unfinished Revolution II. [Oral Presentation], “Access to Abortion and the Needs of Survivors of Sexual Violence in Ireland”, University of Ulster , 02-JUN-16 - 02-JUN-16 [Details]
    2015 Institute for Criminal Justice Research, University of Southampton. Expert Evidence under the Microscope.
    Sinéad Ring (2015) Institute for Criminal Justice Research, University of Southampton. Expert Evidence under the Microscope. [Invited Lecture], The Juridification of Trauma in Delayed Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions, Institute for Criminal Justice Research, University of Southampton , 22-NOV-14 [Details]
    2015 University of Limerick Conference on the EU Victims' Directive.
    Sinead Ring (2015) University of Limerick Conference on the EU Victims' Directive. [Oral Presentation], The EU Victims' Directive and Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse, University of Limerick , 11-SEP-17 [Details]
    2011 Law and Society Association Conference.
    Sinead Ring (2011) Law and Society Association Conference. [Oral Presentation], Expert Evidence on Recovered Memory in Historic Child Sexual Abuse Cases, San Francisco [Details]
    2010 Harvard Law School Graduate Workshop.
    Sinead Ring (2010) Harvard Law School Graduate Workshop. [Oral Presentation], Repressed Memory Syndrome and the Role of Experts in Historic Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions, Boston , 09-APR-10 [Details]
    2010 Irish Association of Law Teachers Conference.
    Sinead Ring (2010) Irish Association of Law Teachers Conference. [Oral Presentation], Constitutional Due Process and Reliability Determinations Regarding Expert Testimony on Recovered Memories of Child Sexual Abuse, Limerick [Details]
    2009 Sibéal Gender and Women's Studies Network, UCD.
    Sinead Ring (2009) Sibéal Gender and Women's Studies Network, UCD. [Oral Presentation], Feminist Constructions of Credibility; Is a Complainant Always a Victim?, UCD [Details]
    2009 Society of Legal Scholars Conference.
    Sinead Ring (2009) Society of Legal Scholars Conference. [Oral Presentation], When is a Victim a Feminist's Victim?, Keele [Details]
    2009 Socio Legal Studies Association.
    Sinead Ring (2009) Socio Legal Studies Association. [Oral Presentation], The Incorporation of Victims' Experiences in Historic Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions, Leicester [Details]
    2008 North-South Criminology Conference.
    Sinead Ring (2008) North-South Criminology Conference. [Oral Presentation], Recalibrating the Scales of Justice, DIT [Details]
    2008 Criminal Justice in Crisis, University of Aberdeen.
    Sinead Ring (2008) Criminal Justice in Crisis, University of Aberdeen. [Oral Presentation], Balance, Delay and Due Process: How Balancing talk Affects Due Process in Delayed Prosecutions for Child Sexual Abuse, Aberdeen [Details]
    2006 European Society of Criminology Annual Conference.
    Sinead Ring (2006) European Society of Criminology Annual Conference. [Oral Presentation], Justice in Transition: Where to now for judicial sentencing discretion?, Tuebingen [Details]

    Book Review

      Year Publication
    2010 General Principles of Law in the Decisions of International Criminal Courts and Tribunals by Raimondo, Fabian.”.
    Ring, Sinéad (2010) General Principles of Law in the Decisions of International Criminal Courts and Tribunals by Raimondo, Fabian.”. Netherlands: Book Review [Details]

    Editorial

      Year Publication
    2013 A Response to the LSE Event “Is Rape Different?”.
    Sarah Keenan and Sinéad Ring (2013) A Response to the LSE Event “Is Rape Different?”. Editorial [DOI] [Details]

    Consultancy

      Year Publication
    2022 Extraction of Victims' Digital Data in Sexual Offences Investigations.
    Sinéad Ring (2022) Extraction of Victims' Digital Data in Sexual Offences Investigations. Consultancy [Details]

    Policy Contribution

      Year Publication
    2019 Submission to the Oireachtas Committee on the Retention of Records Bill 2019.
    Eileen Molloy and Sinéad Ring (2019) Submission to the Oireachtas Committee on the Retention of Records Bill 2019. Policy Contribution [Details]
    2020 In-person presentation to Minister for Higher and Further Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris T.D. Developing Appropriate Policies and Procedures to Respond to Sexual Misconduct in Higher Education Institutions.
    Sinéad Ring (2020) In-person presentation to Minister for Higher and Further Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris T.D. Developing Appropriate Policies and Procedures to Respond to Sexual Misconduct in Higher Education Institutions. Policy Contribution [Details]
    2019 Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills on the Retention of Records Bill 2019.
    Máiread Enright; Maeve O'Rourke and Sinéad Ring (2019) Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills on the Retention of Records Bill 2019. Policy Contribution [Details]
    2019 Legal Opinion. Opinion on the application of the Irish Constitution and EU General Data Protection Regulation to the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 and the Government’s ‘Options for Consideration’ dated 5th November 2019.
    C. O' Mahony, F Logue, M O'Rourke, J. Gallen, E. Daly, M. Enright, S. Ring, R. McMahon, L. Cahillane (2019) Legal Opinion. Opinion on the application of the Irish Constitution and EU General Data Protection Regulation to the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 and the Government’s ‘Options for Consideration’ dated 5th November 2019. Policy Contribution [full-text] [Details]
    2019 Submission to Department of Justice's Review of Part 4 of the Sexual Offences Act 2017.
    Vicky Conway and Sinéad Ring (2019) Submission to Department of Justice's Review of Part 4 of the Sexual Offences Act 2017. Policy Contribution [Details]
    2016 Submission to the Citizens’ Assembly of Ireland Regarding a Proposed Model Law on Abortion.
    Enright, M. ; Conway, V.; De Londras, F.; Fletcher, R.; McGuinness, S.; Ui Chonnachtaigh, S.; McDonnell, N.; Murray, C.; Ring, S. and Donnelly, M. (2016) Submission to the Citizens’ Assembly of Ireland Regarding a Proposed Model Law on Abortion. Policy Contribution [DOI] [Details]
    2013 Proposed Reforms of Legal Aid in the UK. Response to Consultation by Kent Law School.
    Helen Carr, Per Laleng, Rosemary Hunter, Sinead Ring, Elaine Sherratt, Richard Warren, Lucy Welsh , Sheona York (2013) Proposed Reforms of Legal Aid in the UK. Response to Consultation by Kent Law School. Kent: Policy Contribution [Details]

    Invited Lectures

      Year Publication
    2022 State Shame, Sovereignty and Legal Responses to Historical Institutional Abuse.
    Sinéad Ring (2022) State Shame, Sovereignty and Legal Responses to Historical Institutional Abuse. Invited Lectures [Details]
    2014 Universidad de Castilla la Mancha. Feminist Activism and Scholarship in the UK in 2014.
    Sinead Ring (2014) Universidad de Castilla la Mancha. Feminist Activism and Scholarship in the UK in 2014. Invited Lectures [Details]

    Invited Seminars

      Year Publication
    2022 Maynooth Sparks event: Legal Responses to historical Child Sexual Absue.
    Sinéad Ring (2022) Maynooth Sparks event: Legal Responses to historical Child Sexual Absue. Invited Seminars [Details]
    2015 Historical Child Sexual Abuse and an Ethics of Memory.
    Sinéad Ring (2015) Historical Child Sexual Abuse and an Ethics of Memory. Invited Seminars [Details]
    2015 Interrogating the Irish State's Wilful Ignorance on Child Sexual Abuse in the Past.
    Sinead Ring (2015) Interrogating the Irish State's Wilful Ignorance on Child Sexual Abuse in the Past. Dublin: Invited Seminars [Details]

    Magazine Article

      Year Publication
    2017 Switzerland Court determined 'stealthing' is not rape.
    Sinéad Ring, De Elizabeth (2017) Switzerland Court determined 'stealthing' is not rape. Magazine Article [Details]

    Magazine Article

      Year Publication
    2020 Dáil Passes controversial bill sealing Mother and Baby Homes records for 30 years.
    Sinéad Ring and Lisa Connell (2020) Dáil Passes controversial bill sealing Mother and Baby Homes records for 30 years. Magazine Article [Details]

    Blog

      Year Publication
    2015 The Irish Marriage Referendum.
    Sinéad Ring (2015) The Irish Marriage Referendum. Blog [Details]
    2018 Disclosure failures erode confidence in criminal justice.
    Sinéad Ring (2018) Disclosure failures erode confidence in criminal justice. Blog [Details]
    2018 Disclosure failures erode confidence in criminal justice.
    Sinéad Ring (2018) Disclosure failures erode confidence in criminal justice. Blog [Details]
    2015 Idealism, Nationalism and the Betrayal of Irish Children.
    Sinead Ring (2015) Idealism, Nationalism and the Betrayal of Irish Children. Blog [full-text] [Details]
    2013 Proposed Reforms of Legal Aid in the UK.
    Sinead Ring (2013) Proposed Reforms of Legal Aid in the UK. Blog [Details]
    2010 New Garda Sex Offences Unit to be Established.
    Sinéad Ring (2010) New Garda Sex Offences Unit to be Established. Blog [Details]
    2010 Cardinal Brady and the Civil Action Taken by alleged victim of Brendan Smyth.
    Sinéad Ring (2010) Cardinal Brady and the Civil Action Taken by alleged victim of Brendan Smyth. Blog [Details]
    2010 HSE Dublin North East Region and complaints of child abuse.
    Sinéad Ring (2010) HSE Dublin North East Region and complaints of child abuse. Blog [Details]
    2010 Carlin v DPP: Prosecutorial Discretion and the Decision (not) to Prosecute.
    Sinéad Ring (2010) Carlin v DPP: Prosecutorial Discretion and the Decision (not) to Prosecute. Blog [Details]
    2009 The Safety of Sex Workers.
    Sinéad Ring (2009) The Safety of Sex Workers. Blog [Details]
    2009 Implementation of the Ryan Report and Children in Care.
    Sinéad Ring (2009) Implementation of the Ryan Report and Children in Care. Blog [Details]
    2009 LRC Report on Criminal Defences.
    Sinéad Ring (2009) LRC Report on Criminal Defences. Blog [Details]

    Newspaper Articles

      Year Publication
    2022 Consent Defence in Rape will be Changed.
    Sinéad Ring, Cate McCurry (2022) Consent Defence in Rape will be Changed. Newspaper Articles [DOI] [Details]
    2021 We can't say it is too difficult. Could criminal investigations into Ireland's mother and baby homes happen?.
    Sinéad Ring, (2021) We can't say it is too difficult. Could criminal investigations into Ireland's mother and baby homes happen?. Newspaper Articles [Details]
    2020 reland’s mother and baby home survivors have spent decades fighting for the truth. They can finally see an end in sight.
    Sinéad Ring, Kara Fox (2020) reland’s mother and baby home survivors have spent decades fighting for the truth. They can finally see an end in sight. Newspaper Articles [DOI] [Details]
    2019 Abused All Over Again.
    Sinéad Ring, Lizzie Deane (2019) Abused All Over Again. Newspaper Articles [Details]
    2017 Ireland tolerated abuse of children says expert.
    Sinéad Ring, Noel Baker (2017) Ireland tolerated abuse of children says expert. Newspaper Articles [Details]
    2010 Representations of Justice in Sexual Abuse Cases.
    Sinead Ring (2010) Representations of Justice in Sexual Abuse Cases. London: Newspaper Articles [DOI] [Details]

    Radio Presentation

      Year Publication
    2016 Sexual Consent and the Law.
    Sinéad Ring (2016) Sexual Consent and the Law. Radio Presentation [Details]
    2019 Morning Ireland Interview: Committee to discuss proposed legislation on records of redress bodies.
    Sinéad Ring (2019) Morning Ireland Interview: Committee to discuss proposed legislation on records of redress bodies. Dublin: Radio Presentation [Details]
    2019 Today with Seán O'Rourke: Retention of Records.
    Sinead Ring (2019) Today with Seán O'Rourke: Retention of Records. Dublin: Radio Presentation [Details]
    2018 The Abortion Referendum in Ireland.
    Sinéad Ring (2018) The Abortion Referendum in Ireland. Kent: Radio Presentation [Details]

    Video recording / TV

      Year Publication
    2011 The Criminal Law (Defence of the Dwelling) Bill.
    Sinéad Ring (2011) The Criminal Law (Defence of the Dwelling) Bill. Video recording / TV [Details]

    Working Paper

      Year Publication
    2011 The Rule of Law and Historic Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions. NUI Galway Working Papers Series.
    Sinead Ring (2011) The Rule of Law and Historic Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions. NUI Galway Working Papers Series. Working Paper [Details]

    Podcast

      Year Publication
    2020 Policed in Ireland The Sallins Train Robbery.
    Vicky Conway, Osgur Breatnach, Sinéad Ring (2020) Policed in Ireland The Sallins Train Robbery. Dublin: Podcast [Details]

    Honours and Awards

      Year Title Awarding Body
    2003 College Scholar University College Cork
    2007 Faculty of Law Doctoral Scholarship University College Cork
    2008 Doctoral Scholarship Irish Research Council for the Humanities and the Social Science

    Professional Associations

      Association Function From / To
    Socio Legal Studies Association Member /
    Irish Penal Reform Trust Member /
    Irish Council for Civil Liberties Member /
    Association for Criminal Justice Research and Development member /

    Committees

      Committee Function From / To
    Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee of the Judicial Council Member 2020 / 2025
    Feminists at Law Journal Editorial Board Member 2013 /
    Higher Education Authority Expert Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment Member 2021 /
    Department of Law Research Committee Member 2019 /
    Expert Committee on Consent Framework Member 2018 / 2019

    Employment

      Employer Position From / To
    University College Cork Part-Time Lecturer /
    University of Kent 07-JAN-13 / 31-AUG-19
    National University of Ireland Galway Lecturer 01-SEP-10 / 30-JUN-12
    Maynooth University 01-SEP-19 /

    Education

      Year Institution Qualification Subject
    2013 NUI Galway PG Certificate in Teaching and Learning Teaching and Learning at Third Level
    2013 University College Cork PhD Law
    2004 University College Cork LLM (Criminal Justice) Law and Criminal Justice
    2003 University College Cork BCL (Law and German) Law and German

    Languages

      Language Reading Writing Speaking
    German Functional Functional Functional

    Consultancy

      Client Description
    University College Cork
    Reviewer of LLM (Criminal Justice) Programme for the Law Department

    Reviews

      Journal Role
    Feminists At Law Member of the Editorial Board
    Social And Legal Studies Member of the Editorial Board

    Teaching Interests

    Sinéad teaches Criminal Law I and II ,  The Law of Evidence, State Responses to Historical Gendered Violence, Gender Sexuality and Law (Undergrad and Postgraduate courses). 

    She is happy to supervise research students working in the following areas: institutional violence and the State; sexual violence and the law; law and gender; feminist legal studies; criminal law; evidence law and criminal justice.  

    External Collaborators

      Name Role / Description Country
    Mairead Enright Co-Author UNITED KINGDOM
    Professor Kim Stevenson Co-author UNITED KINGDOM
    Dr Kate Gleeson Co-Author AUSTRALIA