Policy engagement

Our criminal law research group members actively engage with policy matters at both national and international levels. We regularly conduct policy reviews and provide evidence to the Justice Committee of the Scottish Parliament or other relevant bodies, contributing to informed decision-making and legal reform.

Below are some examples of our recent and notable contributions:

 

Criminal jurisdiction

  • ‘International Cooperation and Extradition’ (2025). (report, co-author) Law Commission/CLRNN. (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘Jurisdiction over Cybercrime Offences in the UK’ (roundtable discussant) Slynn Foundation Judicial Training event, FCDO, London (December 2024). (Micheál Ó Floinn) ·
  • UNODC ‘Review of the Model law on Mutual Legal Assistance’ (internal report) (2021) (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘The UNODC Model law on MLA’ (presentation and Expert Working Group co-chair) UNODC, Vienna, Expert Working Group (November 2021). (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘Updating the Model law on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters’ (presentation and Expert Working Group participant), UNODC Expert Working Group (March 2021) (Micheál Ó Floinn)

 

Community supervision

  • A Review of Integrated Community Service (Kennefick and Guilfoyle – Irish Probation Service, 2025)
  • An Evidence Review of Community Service Policy, Practice and Structure (Kennefick and Guilfoyle – Irish Probation Service, 2022)
  • Submission to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee inquiry into community sentence (Gormley, Kennefick Hamilton 2023)

 

Cybercrime

  • ‘Reforming Cybercrime Laws: the role of Model laws’ (remote lecture) Addressing Cybercrime in Sub-Saharan Africa, Commonwealth Workshop, Ghana (January 2022) (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘The Treatment of Electronic Evidence in Criminal Proceedings’ (remote presentation of guidelines) Commonwealth Law Ministers and Senior Officials Meeting (Tanzania, March 2024). (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘The Presumption(s) of Reliability’ Inner Temple, London ‘New Frontiers: Open Source Evidence’ conference (lecture) (November 2023) (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘Guidelines on Electronic Evidence in Criminal Proceedings’ Commonwealth Secretariat, London (presentation and Expert Working Group participant) (March 2023). (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘Elucidating Electronic Evidence’ UNODC Judicial Training for Indonesia and Malaysia (remote lecture and co-organiser) (May 2022) (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘Electronic Evidence: an overview’ (lecture), UNODC Cross Regional Meeting on Admissibility of Electronic Evidence (January 2021) (Micheál Ó Floinn)

 

Evidence and procedure

  • ‘The Treatment of Electronic Evidence in Criminal Proceedings’ (remote presentation of guidelines) Commonwealth Law Ministers and Senior Officials Meeting (Tanzania, March 2024). (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘The Presumption(s) of Reliability’ Inner Temple, London ‘New Frontiers: Open Source Evidence’ conference (lecture) (November 2023) (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘Guidelines on Electronic Evidence in Criminal Proceedings’ Commonwealth Secretariat, London (presentation and Expert Working Group participant) (March 2023). (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘Elucidating Electronic Evidence’ UNODC Judicial Training for Indonesia and Malaysia (remote lecture and co-organiser) (May 2022) (Micheál Ó Floinn)
  • ‘Electronic Evidence: an overview’ (lecture), UNODC Cross Regional Meeting on Admissibility of Electronic Evidence (January 2021) (Micheál Ó Floinn)