The Centre

The ICEL is a Centre of the School of Law of Trinity College Dublin, constituted as a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity, with an independent Board. The Board chairperson is the Centre’s President, Advocate General Anthony M Collins.

It was founded in 1988 by Senator Mary Robinson SC (now the Centre’s Patron) as a membership-based association to further education and research in the law of the European Union and European human rights.

The Centre serves the legal professions, legal academics, law students, public institutions, the voluntary sector, businesses and the wider public.

The Centre organises conferences and seminars across the island of Ireland in various areas of EU law (in particular, environmental, public procurement, data protection, Brexit and competition law) and in human rights law. The Centre is also the Irish member of the European Law Association for Criminal Law and the Protection of the Financial Interests of the EU, which is run by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

The Centre has annual revenues of at least €120k and 2 part-time members of staff based in Trinity. The Centre has recently launched activities in Northern Ireland, and additionally has recruited a part-time Assistant Director for Northern Ireland based in Belfast.

The Role

The Chairperson will lead the Members’ Committee.

The Members’ Committee independently plans and runs 1-4 events a year, with some staff assistance.

It is intended that the Members’ Committee becomes a central point for involvement of individuals (ordinary members, and staff of group members) in the life of the Centre.

Members of the Members’ Committee are volunteers, and are not company directors or Charity Trustees.

Responsibilities will include the following:

• Chairing meetings of the Members’ Committee
• Creatively and dynamically planning and leading the implementation of Members’ Committee’s programme of events
• Together with the CEO, designing a plan for the recruitment and involvement of individuals in the life of the Centre, and leading the Members’ Committee in the delivery of that plan
• Working constructively with other membership-based organisations in EU and Human Rights in Ireland
• Developing and recruiting to the Members’ Committee
• Working with the President, Deputy President and CEO on membership relations
• Accounting to the Board and Advisory Council for the work of the Members’ Committee

Anticipated profile

• Early career/trainee solicitor, barrister, academic, researcher, public servant, or NGO sector or
• Experienced membership development (whether as a volunteer or professional) with a strong interest in EU affairs or human rights

Term

The Chairperson of the Members’ Committee is appointed by the Board on 25th September for a term of one year, renewable annually.

Committee Meetings

There will be 2-4 scheduled committee meetings a year. The Chairperson is also encouraged to attend meetings of the Advisory Council which is held twice a year. Committee and Council meetings are typically held online and otherwise are held in Trinity College, Dublin.

Diversity

The ICEL is committed to diversity in appointments to the Board and Committees, in terms of: gender; age; ethnicity; sexual orientation; the inclusion of members of the legal professions and those involved in legal education; geography in terms of residence or place of business on the island of Ireland (including both legal jurisdictions).