Editorial

• Author: Matthew Gregg
• Pages: pp vii - ix
• Published date: 12 January 2022
• Date: 12 January 2022

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Editorial

On behalf of the Editorial Board, it is my privilege to present Volume 20 of the

Hibernian Law Journal. e aims of the Journal are to help bridge the gap that

can sometimes exist between lawyers ‘in practice’ and the study of the law, and

to provide a platform for practising solicitors and trainee solicitors to contribute

works of the highest calibre. It is our sincere hope that the contributions in this

Volume have gone someway to meeting these aims and that they will further enrich

and propel legal discourse in this country and further aeld.

anks, as ever, must rstly be given to all those who submitted articles for

consideration. It was both a pleasure and a challenge, given the volume and quality

of pieces received, to work with the Editorial Board to select the nal features

for Volume 20. As covered in greater depth in the Hon. Mr Justice Michael

Twomey’s Foreword, this year’s pieces cover a broad range of topics, from the

contemporary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Courts to the sweeping

historical overview of the Revenue Commissioners as preferential creditors, and

the constitutional concepts of sovereignty. I hope that you enjoy reading these as

much as we enjoyed working with the authors to bring them to publication.

is year we also hosted the Journal’s rst online only Annual Lecture, which rather

ttingly addressed the topic of Disinformation in an Information Age together with

the potential benets – as well as limits – that regulating this space might present.

Recent events both at home and abroad have made clear that ever more rapid

information ows and changes to media consumption have led to problems which,

if le uninterrogated, have the potential to sow social disharmony and erode trust

in institutions we have for so long taken for granted. We would like to extend

our warmest thanks to Professor Lorna Woods, OBE (Professor of Internet Law,

University of Essex), Paul uigley (CEO and co-founder, NewsWhip) and Celine

Craig (Deputy Chief Executive, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, and member

of the Board of the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services)

for delivering such thought-provoking talks on the topic. It was clear from both

the presentations and the lively panel discussion which followed that this issue

invites no simple solutions but, reassuringly, is one which those at the forefront of

their elds in academia, industry and regulation are committing their considerable

talents to resolving. My hope is that, in future years, our Annual Lecture can return

to its natural home at Blackhall Place and we can once more welcome our guests

and invitees to continue the discussions long into the evening.

While many things have changed since my rst involvement with the Journal

in 2018, the generous support and encouragement of others within the wider

legal community has remained unwavering. e Journal is an entirely voluntary