The Irish Legal History Society is pleased to announce that the Postdoctoral Bursary for 2021 has been awarded to Dr Lia Brazil of Nuffield College, Oxford.

Dr Brazil is a postdoctoral fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford, as part of the AHRC funded project ‘International NGOs in the Long Humanitarian Century’ (2021 – 2024). She completed her BA at Trinity College Dublin, her MA in European History at UCD, and her PhD in History at the European University Institute, Florence. Her PhD research looked at the history of international law in the British Empire, focusing on the South African War (1899 – 1902) and the Irish struggle for independence (1916 – 1923).

Her current research project looks at efforts made by the republican faction during the Irish civil war to appeal for international humanitarian intervention on behalf of interned prisoners. In particular it concentrates on delegations of Irish women, who travelled to Geneva to petition on behalf of these prisoners under international humanitarian law. She will use the research grant to explore the legal appeals they made to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

John L Leckey

The Society deeply regrets to note the death of John L Leckey on 5 August 2021. He served as Joint Honorary Treasurer of the Society, based in Belfast, from 1993 to 2000.

John was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in Northern Ireland in 1974 and was appointed HM Coroner for Greater Belfast in 1993. He subsequently served as Senior Coroner for Northern Ireland until his retirement in 2015. He presided over a number of a number of difficult inquests, always with his innate courtesy.

John was an author together with Professor Desmond Greer QC (hon.), of Coroners’ Law and Practice in Northern Ireland which deals with the law and practice relating to coroners in Northern Ireland with appropriate reference to developments in Ireland.

The Society extends its condolences to John’s wife Janet and their sons Simon and Peter.

His obituary in The Irish Times can be read here.