Biography
Dr. Jennifer Kavanagh is a Law Lecturer in Waterford Institute of Technology.
She holds PhD in Law from Trinity College Dublin. Her thesis was on Constitutional Law and Government Policy Information.
She has recently published the Second Edition of "Constitutional Law in Ireland" with Clarus Press and has previously published “Electoral Law in Ireland” with Bloomsbury Professional.
She is a regular commentator on politics and current affairs on national and international media as an expert in Constitutional Law and Electoral Law.
Jennifer is current President of the Political Studies Association of Ireland and a member of the Royal Irish Academy's Ethical, Political, Legal and Philosophical Studies Committee.
Administrative Law LL.B. Year 3 and Legal and Business Year 4
Constitutional Law 1 - LL.B. Year 2, Arts Year 2, BA in Legal Studies Year 3 and Psychology Year 2
Constitutional Law 2 - LL.B. Year 2, Arts Year 2, BA in Legal Studies Year 3 and Psychology Year 2
Government and Poltiics of Ireland - Year 1 LLB and Arts
Books
Kavanagh J. (2022) Constitutional Law in Ireland - Second Edition (Dublin: Clarus Press)
Kavanagh J. (2018) Constitutional Law in Ireland (Dublin: Clarus Press)
Kavanagh, J., (2015) Electoral Law in Ireland (Dublin: Bloomsbury Professional)
Book Chapters
Kavanagh J. (2023) Constitutional Law in Byrne and Binchy (Eds). Annual Review of Irish Law 2022 (Dublin:Roundhall)
Kavanagh J. (2022) Constitutional Law in Byrne and Binchy (Eds). Annual Review of Irish Law 2021 (Dublin:Roundhall)
Kavanagh J. (2021) The Will of the People? Referendums, Popular Sovereignty and Individual Action to Overturn Referendum Results in Ireland in Maria Cahill, Colm O’Cinneide, Seán Ó Conaill and Conor O’Mahony, (eds.) Constitutional Change and Popular Sovereignty: Populism, Politics and the Law in Ireland, R (Oxford: Routledge)
Kavanagh, J. (2016) ‘Electoral Law in Ireland: Sustaining Electoral Integrity from Process, Procedures and Precedent?’ in Buckley F. and Reidy T. (eds.) Electoral Management: Institutions and Practices in an Established Democracy: The Case of Ireland. (Oxford: Routledge)
Kavanagh, J. (2016) ‘#tweetgate -When Public Service Broadcasters and Twitter go to War in Thussu D. (Ed.) European Media Policy for the Twenty-First Century: Assessing the Past, Setting Agendas for the Future (Oxford: Routledge)
Kavanagh, J. (2015) ‘Freedom of Information and National Security’ in Felle, T. and Ashead, M. (eds.), 15 Years of Freedom of Information in Ireland (Manchester: Manchester University Press)
Journal Articles
Kavanagh, J. (2022) Balance of Power - Analysis of the new powers for The Electoral Commission for Online Political Advertisments Law Society Gazette June
Kavanagh, J. (2022) "Get Up, Stand Up" Analysis of the Powers of the New Electoral Commission as created in the Electoral Reform Act 2022 Law Society Gazette May
Kavanagh, J. (2021). Constitutional Change: A Response to ‘Let “The People” Decide: Reflections on Constitutional Change and “Concurrent Consent”’ by Colin Harvey. Irish Studies in International Affairs, 32(2), 406–408. https://doi.org/10.3318/isia.2021.32b.39
Kavanagh, J. (2018) Reforming Ireland's Blasphemy Laws Law Society Gazette Aug/Sept pp. 36 -41 https://www.lawsociety.ie/globalassets/documents/gazette/gazette-pdfs/gazette-2018/sept-2018-gazette.pdf
Kavanagh, J. (2015) 'Electoral Law in Ireland: Sustaining Electoral Integrity from Process, Procedures and Precedent? Irish Political Studies vol. 30, no 4. December pp. 510 - 530
Kavanagh, J. (2015) ‘Robust Debate’ – A Socio-Legal Examination of Political Speech Rights and Irish Democracy under Articles 6 and 40.6.1(i)’ Socio-Legal Studies Review Vol 3. March (Online Article - Website now gone)
Kavanagh J. (2014) ‘Defamation in the Dáil: The Right of Reply for Citizen, the use of Standing Order 59 and Parliamentary Reform’ Irish Political Studies, vol. 29, no. 4, December, pp. 573-589.
Conference Presentations
Kavanagh J. (2023) The Landscape of Ethics Regulation in Ireland Political Studies Association of Ireland Conference Belfast October 20-22nd
Kavanagh J. (2022) What Ever Happened to Direct Democracy? Social Change and Direct Democracy - A Fire Lit from 1922? Conference to mark the 100 Anniversary of the 1922 Constitution Dublin 5th December
Kavanagh J. (2022) Challenges of electoral management during the pandemic “Elections – Democracy – Covid-19. Lessons from Europe” University of Warsaw, Poland, and the Institute for Political Studies, Belgrade, Serbia. (Online) 24 - 25 February 2022
Kavanagh J. (2021) Covid and Contingencies: Assessing the Adoption of Electoral Law to the Covid Bye Election Political Studies Association of Ireland Conference University College Dublin 8th - 9th October 2020
Kavanagh J. (2020) Close to the Edge - The Constitutionality of Government Action in Inter Parliamentary Periods Political Studies Association of Ireland Conference Online 9th - 10th October 2020
Kavanagh J. (2019) What now for Parliamentary Privilege - Assessing the implications of the Keirns and O’Brien Judgment Political Studies Association of Ireland Conference Maynooth 18th - 20th October 2019
Kavanagh J. (2016) ‘Parties, The Constitution and Natural Justice’ Irish Association of Law Teachers, Waterford18 – 20th November 2016
Kavanagh J. (2016) ‘Material defects and their implications for Electoral Regulation ’ Political Studies Association of Ireland Conference, Belfast 7 – 9th October 2016
Kavanagh J. (2014) ‘Terrorist Speech Restrictions in Ireland and the UK and Media Regulation’ ‘Challenging Media Landscapes Conference University of Salford – MediaCityUK,17- 18 November 2014
Kavanagh J. (2014) PSAI Conference ‘Continuity and Change: Civil and Political Rights in (nearly) 100 years of Irish Democracy’ Political Studies Association of Ireland Conference, Galway 17 – 19th October 2013
Kavanagh J. (2014) ‘Creating robust policy debate in Irish government: citizens as the ‘final arbiters of government policy’ and participative democracy’ Judges, Politics and the Irish Constitution Inaugural Law and Government Conference School of Law and Government, Dublin City University September 4, 2014
Kavanagh J. (2013), ‘#tweetgate: When Public Service Broadcasters and Twitter go to War – An Irish Perspective’, European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) 2013 Workshop, University of Salford – MediaCityUK, 25 – 26th October 2013
Kavanagh J. & Courtney M. (2013), ‘A Representative Democracy Perspective on Parliamentary Speaking Time Arrangements’, Political Studies Association of Ireland Conference, Dublin 18 – 20th October 2013
Kavanagh J. (2013), ‘Lost in Translation: Planting the seed of Parliamentary Sovereignty in a nation based on Popular Sovereignty’ International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions, Dublin, 4 – 7th September 2013
Kavanagh J. (2013) ‘Where’s the Harm in That? The Right to Know and National Security in Ireland’, #foi15: The Right to Know – Examining 15 years of the freedom of information act in Ireland, University of Limerick, 11th February 2013 (Currently being redrafted for a book chapter)
Kavanagh J. (2012) ‘Defamation and its Role within a Democracy: Bringing the Public Figure Doctrine to Ireland’, Political Studies Association of Ireland Conference, Derry, October 19-21
Kavanagh J. (2012), ‘Defamation in the Dáil: The Right of Reply for Citizens and the Use of Standing Order 59’, PSAI Postgraduate Conference, Maynooth, June 23
Kavanagh, J. (2011) ‘Freedom of Expression and Contemporary Governance: The Freedom to Criticise Government Policy’, Irish Association of Law Teachers Conference, November 18-20
Kavanagh, J. (2011) ‘Right of Reply – Should Citizens have a Right of Reply for Defamatory Statements made in Parliament’, 5th Annual International Graduate Legal Research Conference, Kings College London, 7 - 8 April.
Kavanagh, J. (2010) ‘The Legacy of Broadcasting Restrictions on the Legal Regulation of Political Speech in Ireland’ Irish Association of Law Teachers Conference, Limerick 26 – 27 November.
Kavanagh, J. (2009) ‘How the law on blasphemy can be used as a barometer of cultural change’ Cultural Exchange Conference, Trinity College Dublin and Royal Irish Academy, 13–14 November.
Other Publications and Submissions
Department of An Taoiseach (2018), Regulation of Online Political Advertising in Ireland Submissions, https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/86da72-regulation-of-online-political-advertising-in-ireland-submissions/
Houses of the Oireachtas (2017) Report of the Forum on Parliamentary Privilege, https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/parliamentaryBusiness/other/2017-12-21_report-on-the-forum-on-parliamentary-privilege_en.pdf>.
Kavanagh, J. (2015) Are there limits to Absolute Privilege (Human Rights in Ireland) <http://humanrights.ie/uncategorized/are-there-limits-to-absolute-privilege/>
Kavanagh, J. (2013) Blasphemy or Racial Hatred Laws (Constitutional Convention)
Kavanagh, J. (2013), ‘ Freedom of Information as a Human Right?’ (Human Rights in Ireland) < http://humanrights.ie/civil-liberties/freedom-of-information-as-a-human-right/>
Kavanagh, J. (2013) ‘Advocacy Groups, Political Speech and Offshore Money’ (Human Rights in Ireland) <http://humanrights.ie/civil-liberties/advocacy-groups-political-speech-and-offshore-money/ >
Kavanagh, J. (2012) 'Executive secrecy, access to policy: lessons from the past', School of History and Archives UCD, (HistoryHub.ie) <http://historyhub.ie/executive-secrecy-and-access-to-policy>
Guest Lectures and Seminars
Kavanagh J. (2019) Comparative Electoral Systems - Irish Electoral Regulation Thai Supreme Court Summer School, University of Strathclyde Glasgow July 2019
Kavanagh J. (2019) How Irish Electoral Law can deal with Online Electoral Disinformation Legal Hackers Law Society of Ireland June 2019
Kavanagh J. (2018) "Waterford and the Constitution" Thomas Francis Meagher Lecture Series, Medieval Museum, Waterford 13th October 2018
Kavanagh J. (2013) ‘Current issues in Freedom of Information Law in Ireland’ Information and Records Management Society of Ireland Annual Workshop National Library of Ireland, 14th November 2013
Kavanagh J. (2013) ‘Research Methodologies in Postgraduate Legal Education’ TCD Postgraduate Law School Seminar Series
Jennifer teaches and researches in the areas of Constitutional Law and Administrative Law. Her research is in the area of Constitutional Law and Politics.
Jennifer is a regular media contributor on National and International Broadcast Media for expert and general commentary on Constitutional Law, Elections and Electoral Law. She has been a panellist for RTÉ, Newstalk, Today FM, TV3, Channel 4 News and Sky News amongst others. She has also contributed opinion pieces for The Sun, The Sunday Times and Waterford News and Star.
Jennifer is a regular media contributor on National and International Broadcast Media for expert and general commentary on Constitutional Law, Elections and Electoral Law. She has been a panellist for RTÉ, Newstalk, Today FM, TV3, Channel 4 News and Sky News amongst others. She has also contributed opinion pieces for The Sun, The Sunday Times and Waterford News and Star.