Editorial

• Date: 01 January 2024
• Author: Denis O'Farrell

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Editorial

I am delighted to present Volume 23 of the Hibernian Law Journal on behalf of the

Editorial Board.

e Hibernian Law Journal was founded in 1999 to serve as a forum for early-

career academics with a distinct appreciation for the relationship between academic

writing and the practice of law. One of the key aims of the journal is to increase

scholarship amongst both the practising and academic legal communities. is aim

has been reected in the increased number of submissions and published articles

in this year’s Volume. e Hibernian Law Journal is a multidisciplinary journal,

with articles generally either having some Irish or European application to serve

the Journal’s founding premise to further Irish legal scholarship. e increasing

harmonisation of laws through the European project and through various ‘so

law’ endeavours has resulted in the Journal’s articles having increased international

considerations. However, the articles remain rmly rooted in the considerations of

the impact that such developments may have on the Irish and European legal order.

e Journal, then, goes from strength to strength as an authoritative source of Irish

law commentary. It provides a real opportunity and platform to promote Irish legal

scholarship without limitation as to subject matter. e Journal has, in all volumes,

benetted from input from Academic Advisors across the range of legal elds and

their valued input continues to push the Journal to new heights.

Of course, the Journal is, in many ways, still a student-run journal, with many

trainee solicitors being educated in the Law Society of Ireland serving as members

of the Board. However, this may only partially reect the Board as it currently

stands, with recently qualied and trainee solicitors all working in tandem to

produce the current volume. When beginning my time as editor-in-chief, one of

my wishes was that the Editorial Board experience would be available not only for

those completing their training contracts but also for early-stage solicitors who

could provide insightful practising expertise to the editorial process. I hope this

continues, as the Journal has, in my view, greatly benetted from these additional

perspectives and could continue to do so into the future.

Work is ongoing to advance the Journal’s online presence to reect the changing

nature of legal scholarship in an increasingly digitalised space. To this extent, the

Board is incredibly grateful to both James Kennedy, in his design capacity, and our

publishers for their support in carrying the Journal to a greater audience than might

otherwise be possible. It is my hope that the excellent authorship of the Journal’s

articles becomes as widely read as possible and that the Journal’s reach continues to

expand.

e present Volume evidences the Journal’s broad multidisciplinary nature. A

clear theme this year were articles focussed on the constitutional perspective.

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