Publications

My research generally relates to human rights, political processes and legal protections. On this page you can find my publications (with links to open access versions where possible). You can access more works in my UCD institutional repository page,  my SSRN research profile and my Google Scholar profile. You can access a full list of public presentations and conference contributions here.

Legal Systems & Human Rights

Liam Thornton, “MhicMathúna v Ireland” in Máiréad Enright, Julie McCandless and Aoife O’Donoghue (eds) Northern / Irish Feminist Judgments: Judges’ Troubles and the Gendered Politics of Identity (Oxford: Bloomsbury Professional, 2017), pp.137-156.

Tanya Ni Mhuirthile, Catherine O’Sullivan and Liam Thornton, Fundamentals of the Irish Legal System: Law, Politics and Policy (Dublin: Roundhall, 2016) 612pp. Table of contents & chapter 1 can be accessed here.

Liam Thornton “Socio-Economic Rights and Ireland” in Egan (ed.), International Human Rights and Ireland (Dublin: Bloomsbury, 2015), pp. 177-202.

Suzanne Kingston and Liam Thornton, The Application of the ECHR Act 2003 and the European Charter of Fundamental Rights in Irish Courts: Evaluation and Review (Dublin: Law Society, 2015). 545pp.

Suzanne Egan, Liam Thornton & Judy Walsh (eds). The European Convention on Human Rights and Ireland: 60 Years and Beyond (Dublin: Bloomsbury, 2014) 395pp.

Liam Thornton “The European Convention on Human Rights: A Socio-Economic Rights Charter?” in Suzanne Egan, Liam Thornton & Judy Walsh (Eds.), The European Convention on Human Rights and Ireland: 60 Years and Beyond (Dublin: Bloomsbury, 2014), pp. 228-257.

Liam Thornton & Judy Walsh “The ECHR, Socio-Economic Disadvantage and Access to Justice” in Suzanne Egan, Liam Thornton & Judy Walsh (Eds.), The European Convention on Human Rights and Ireland: 60 Years and Beyond (Dublin: Bloomsbury, 2014), pp. 221-227

Liam Thornton & Judy Walsh (2014) “The Convention in the Private Sphere” in Suzanne Egan, Liam Thornton & Judy Walsh (Eds.), The European Convention on Human Rights and Ireland: 60 Years and Beyond (Dublin: Bloomsbury, 2014), pp.131-142.

Liam Thornton, “21 Years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: A Coming of Age?” (2011) 62(2) Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, 137-142.

Liam Thornton, “Human Rights Law in the Republic of Ireland 2008” in Mullally, S. & Allain, J. (eds.) (2011) Irish Yearbook of International Law 2008, 168-180.

Liam Thornton (2007) Dubsky v Ireland International Law in Domestic Courts (OUP) (IE 2005)

Liam Thornton (2007) Horgan v Ireland International Law in Domestic Courts (OUP) (IE 2003)

Liam Thornton, “Human Rights in the Republic of Ireland 2007” in Mullally, S. & Allain, J. (eds.) (2009) Irish Yearbook of International Law 2007 175-188.

Fiona de Londras, Darren O’Donovan, Siobhan Mullally and Liam Thornton, “Human Rights in Ireland 2006” in Mullally, S. & Allain, J. (eds.) (2008) Irish Yearbook of International Law 2006 313-330.

Asylum Seekers, Law & the Rights of “Others”

Liam Thornton, “Clashing Interpretations of EU Rights in Domestic Courts” (2020) 26 (2) European Public Law 243-264 (for those without subscription, open access article here).

Liam Thornton (2019-), Exploring Direct Provision: 20 Years On, for updates see: www.exploringdirectprovision.ie or follow on Twitter, @ExploringDP

Liam Thornton, “A Time for Hope? The European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018” in NASC & CCJHR, Beyond McMahon: The Future of Asylum Reception (2018), pp. 17-21.

Liam Thornton, “Ireland: Asylum Seekers and Refugees” in Melatu Uche Okorie, This Hostel Life (Dublin, Skein Press: 2018), pp. 61-81.

Muireann Ní Raghallaigh & Liam Thornton, “Vulnerable Childhood, Vulnerable Adulthood: Direct Provision as Aftercare for Aged-Out Separated Children Seeking Asylum in Ireland” (2017) 19(3) Critical Social Policy 386-404. Open Access Version here.

Liam Thornton, “A View from Outside the EU Reception Acquis: Reception Rights for Asylum Seekers in Ireland” in Paul Minderhoud and Karin Zwaan (eds). The recast Reception Conditions Directive: Central Themes, Problem Issues, and Implementation in Selected Member States (Oisterwijk, The Netherlands: Wolf Legal Publishers), pp.49-76.

Liam Thornton, “A Preliminary Human Rights Analysis of the McMahon Working Group Report & Recommendations on Direct Provision” (UCD Human Rights Centre Working Paper, 2015), pp.1-31.

Catherine Cosgrave and Liam Thornton “Immigration & Asylum Law in Ireland” In: Children’s Rights Alliance (eds). Children and the Law in Ireland: Child Law Audit (Dublin: Children’s Rights Alliance, 2015), pp. 168 to 187.

Liam Thornton, “Spotlight on Direct Provision” in Children’s Rights Alliance (eds). Making Rights Real for Children: A Children’s Rights Audit of Irish Law . (Dublin: CRA, 2015), pp.124-130.

Liam Thornton “EU Asylum Policy: Reception Conditions for Asylum Seekers” in Lewis, T. et al. Report on coherence of human rights policymaking in EU Institutions and other EU agencies and bodies (2015, FP7,  GA No. 320000), pp.  105-111.

Liam Thornton, “Law, Dignity & Human Rights: The Case of Asylum Seekers in Europe” (2014) FRAME FP7 Working Paper No. 6, pp.1-31.

Liam Thornton, “C.A and T.A; The Direct Provision Case” (2014) 17 (4) Irish Journal of Family Law 16-20.

Liam Thornton “The Rights of Others: Asylum Seekers and Direct Provision in Ireland” (2014) 3 (2) Irish Community Development Law Journal, 22-42.

Liam Thornton, “Direct Provision and the Rights of the Child” (2014) 17 (3) Irish Journal of Family Law 66-78.

Liam Thornton, “Social Welfare Law and Asylum Seekers in Ireland: An Anatomy of Exclusion” (2013) 20(2) Journal of Social Security Law 66-88.

Siobhan Mullally and Liam Thornton, “The Rights of the Child, Immigration and Article 8 in the Irish Courts” in Kilkelly, U. The ECHR Act 2003: Five Years On (Bristol: Jordans, 2009) pp. 234-256.

Liam Thornton (2008) Agbonlahor v Ireland International Law in Domestic Courts (OUP) 820 (IE 2007)

Liam Thornton, “Subsidiary protection for asylum seekers in Ireland” (2008) 26(1) Irish Law Times, 6-13.

Liam Thornton, “Upon the limits of rights regimes: Reception conditions for asylum seekers in the Republic of Ireland” (2007) Refuge, Canadian Periodical of Refugee Law, 58-73 (Special issue on reception systems and asylum seekers).

Liam Thornton (2007) Siritanu v Director of Public Prosecutions (Ireland) International Law in Domestic Courts (OUP) 481 (IE 2006)

Social Welfare/Social Security Law

Liam Thornton, JB v Department for Social Development (DLA) [2011] NICOM 227, Northern Ireland Social Security Commissioner’s, Unreported decision, no. C/28/11-12(DLA), 29 November 2011, [2012] 3 BNIL

Liam Thornton, CAF v Department for Social Development (ESA) [2011] NICOM 248, Northern Ireland Social Security Commissioner’s, Unreported decision, no.) C9/11-12(ESA), 09 January 2012, [2012] 3 BNIL

Liam Thornton, AW v Department for Social Development (DLA) [2011] NICOM 261, Northern Ireland Social Security Commissioner’s, Unreported decision, no. C/49/11-12(DLA), 06 March 2012, [2012] 4 BNIL

Liam Thornton, PM v Department for Social Development (ESA) [2011] NICOM 245, Northern Ireland Social Security Commissioner’s, Unreported decision, no. C10/11-12(ESA), 20 December 2011, [2012] 4 BNIL

Liam Thornton, GL v Department for Social Development (ESA) [2011] NICOM 231, Northern Ireland Social Security Commissioner’s, Unreported decision, no. C12/11-12(ESA), 28 November 2011, [2012] 4 BNIL

Liam Thornton, JFP v Department for Social Development (DLA) [2011] NICOM 267, Northern Ireland Social Security Commissioner’s, Unreported decision, no. C29/09-10(DLA), 12 March 2012, [2012] 5 BNIL

Liam Thornton, WAOW v Department for Social Development (DLA) [2012] NICOM 287, Northern Ireland Social Security Commissioner’s, Unreported decision, no. C1/12-13(DLA), 17 May 2012, [2012] 9 BNIL

Liam Thornton, GS v Department for Social Development (IS) [2012] NICOM 284, Northern Ireland Social Security Commissioner’s, Unreported decision, no. C3/11-12(IS), C4/11-12(IS), 17 May 2012, [2012] 9 BNIL

Liam Thornton, GE v Department for Social Development (DLA) [2012] NICOM 298, Northern Ireland Social Security Commissioner’s, Unreported decision, no. C9/12-13(DLA), 19 November 2012, [2012] 11 BNIL 67.

Liam Thornton, LS v Department for Social Development (IS) [2012] NICOM 327, Northern Ireland Social Security Commissioner’s, Unreported decision, no. C7/11-12(IS), 19 November 2012, [2012] 11 BNIL 68.

Liam Thornton (2005) “Discretion and Law in the British and Irish Social Welfare Systems” Cork Online Law Review 4 (1) :1-16.