An academic book symposium exploring Dr Conor Crummey's scholarly work on the principle of legality in public law. Chaired by Prof George Letsas, this event examines how judges interpret statutes in relation to common law rights and the philosophical foundations of this interpretive method.
The discussion addresses key questions: which rights and principles trigger the principle of legality, how explicit must statutory language be to override common law protections, and how this principle relates to the broader concepts of the rule of law and parliamentary supremacy. Crummey's book challenges the conventional view that the principle of legality merely reflects legislative intent, instead arguing that judges applying this principle engage in a complex form of moral reasoning grounded in non-positivist jurisprudence.
Dr Crummey is Assistant Professor in Law at Maynooth University, specialising in constitutional law, statutory interpretation, and the connections between general jurisprudence and UK public law.
