Episode 77: Liam Herrick

Today’s episode features Executive Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Liam Herrick.  Liam and Sarah discuss the history of the ICCL and its place in the development of human rights and social justice, not only in Ireland, but globally.  They look at the ‘Enforce’ unit within the ICCL which aims to challenge the ‘tech threat’ posed to democracy and human rights. 

Liam Herrick is the Executive Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. Liam was appointed in November 2016. Prior to his appointment, he was the Advisor to President Michael D. Higgins. Liam was Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) between 2007 and 2014. He has also worked as the first Head of Legislation and Policy at the former Irish Human Rights Commission, with the Law Reform Commission and at the Department of Foreign Affairs. He is a former member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) and the Minister for Justice and Equality’s Strategic Review Group on Penal Policy. Liam is a sought-after commentator and appears regularly before parliamentary committees and in the media.  

Liam says “I have worked in human rights for most of the last 20 years. I believe that fighting for human rights protections in law and in policy can make a real difference to peoples’ lives and to the type of society we live in. “