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Book launch: Detention and the Right to Liberty: Addressing Gaps in Protection at the European Court

Smiling female academic
Date(s)
October 8, 2025
Location
The Board Room, School of Law, QUB (MST.09.022)
Time
13:00 - 14:30
Price
Free of charge

Detention and the Right to Liberty is a ground-breaking study of how the European Court of Human Rights interprets Article 5 of the ECHR – the right to liberty and security. Despite being a fundamental provision under the ECHR, the book finds that the Court has neglected to evolve Article 5 standards, and as a result weakened the right’s effectiveness in guarding against arbitrary detention. The book therefore develops an original framework for the progressive interpretation of Article 5, identifying and addressing gaps in the protection of vulnerable groups of detainees. These include individuals held pre-trial, as children, in immigration detention, following protest, or as a result of their political dissent or human rights activism. Dr Garahan will present the key elements of this framework, by reference to original interview data from European Court of Human Rights judges, and outline its capacity to strengthen Article 5 protections to the benefit of detainees across Europe. 

Event Organiser Details
Name Deaglan Coyle
Phone 02890973293
Email d.p.coyle@qub.ac.uk