Professor Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin Elected to Serve a 5-Year Term on the International Commission of Jurists

Professor Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin was recently elected to the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) for a 5 year term. Established in 1952, the Commission plays a unique and prominent role in defending human rights and the rule of law worldwide. Served by a full-time staff with offices in every region of the world, ICJ is founded on the appointment by ballot of a fixed number of 60 eminent global jurists. Commissioners are elected based on their legal reputation, their experience, knowledge and fundamental commitment to human rights.  The composition of the Commission reflects the geographical diversity of the world and its many legal systems. Commissioners participate in ICJ activities, such as country missions or trial observations and provide the ICJ with expert advice and opinions in relation to their region and in their areas of thematic expertise.

"I am deeply honored to have been elected to the International Commission of Jurists and join this esteemed body of jurists and legal experts," Professor Ní Aoláin said. "Protecting human rights globally remains my passion and this opportunity allows me to continue that work in new and distinct ways."

Professor Ní Aoláin is a University Regents Professor; holder of the Robina Chair in Law, Public Policy, and Society; and faculty director of the Human Rights Center at the Law School. She is concurrently a professor of law at the Queen's University of  Belfast, School of Law.

In 2017, Ní Aoláin was appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. In this capacity she works closely with states and United Nations entities to advance human rights protections in some of the most difficult contexts globally. She was re-elected by States for a further three-year term in 2020.