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Dr. Róisin Costello

Assistant Professor (Law)
HOUSE 39, COLLEGE
      
Profile Photo

Dr. Róisin Costello

Assistant Professor (Law)
HOUSE 39, COLLEGE

 ROISIN.ACOSTELLO@tcd.ie

 3531896 1939


Róisín is an Assistant Professor of EU and International Law and a practicing barrister. Róisín is a graduate of the LLB and PhD programmes at TCD, The Honorable Society of Kings Inns, the Institut d'études politiques de Paris and Georgetown Law. Prior to joining TCD Róisín was an Assistant Professor at Maynooth University (2019-2020) and at Dublin City University (2020-2023). Róisín is currently the Deputy Director of the Trinity Centre for Constitutional Law and Governance, and is Director and principal investigator for "DEMCONEX" The Jean Monnet Centre for Excellence in Freedom of Expression and Democratic Resilience in Europe's Digital Age which will run from 2025-2028. She is the author of `Privacy Law in Ireland (Bloomsbury, 2023), `Law in Irish Literature' (Edinburgh University Press, 2026) and is the co-author of the forthcoming 'The Data Protection Acts and the GDPR: A Commentary' (Bloomsbury, 2026). Róisín has also co-edited the volumes 'Critical Reflections on the EU's Data Protection Regime' (Hart, 2024) and 'Data Protection After Brexit: Reflections from the UK and Ireland' (Hart, 2023). Róisín researches and works on EU law (with a particular focus on privacy and data protection law and EU constitutionalism), minority language rights, and law and the humanities. Her research has been cited by the House of Lords Public Services Committee report "Interpreting and language services in the courts" and by the Irish Supreme Court in Hyland v Commission of An Garda Síochána [2025] IESC 43. Róisín's research has been funded by Erasmus+, The Irish Research Council, The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and The Arts and Humanities Research Council. She has also received smaller grants from the SLSA and SLS. Róisín welcomes expressions of interest from prospective PhD students and post-doctoral researchers whose research is focused on: (i) privacy and/or data protection law (ii) EU constitutionalism (iii) Political Economy approaches to EU law (iv) the intersection of fundamental / human rights and digital technologies (v) language rights / law and language (vi) the intersections of law and humanities with a particular focus on: law and history / law and literature / law and culture PhD or postdoctoral students interested in working with Dr Costello should (in general) have a jurisdictional focus on: Europe (including EU Member States), Ireland, or common law jurisdictions or should be working on comparative research drawing in whole or in part on these jurisdictions.
  data privacy   Data Protection Law   EU Law   Governance, Human Rights, European Union Law   International Law   law and technology   Public International Law   Sociolegal Studies
Project Title
 DEMCONEX Jean Monnet Centre for Excellence
From
To
Summary
The DEMCONEX Jean Monnet Centre for Excellence for Freedom of Expression and Democratic Resilience in Europe"s Digital Age will examine how freedom of expression and its regulation supports the ability of citizens to participate in political processes and contribute to Europe"s democratic project and will provide a wider umbrella for promoting EU Studies at TCD. The JMCE has 3 complementary, integrated strands - Research: The JMCE will facilitate interdisciplinary research including the production of: a monograph examining the development of freedom of expression and its association with political participation; articles and book chapters on topics such as participatory democracy, de-platforming, regulation of social media platforms, and EU law in national constitutional courts; and conference papers and participation. Teaching: The JMCE will lead an ambitious expansion of teaching and the promotion of excellence in EU studies teaching. It will deliver two new modules on freedom of expression and democratic participation, integrate materials on freedom of expression, constitutionalism and democratic theory into existing modules and deliver seminars to students in universities outside the EU. Events: The JMCE will host events including an annual Public Lecture series, two interdisciplinary seminar series and a multi-day international conference. Connecting theory and practice, the events will reach students and key stakeholders including government and civil society. The JMCE represents a consolidation and an ambitious expansion in events, teaching and research on EU Studies at TCD, and will lay the groundwork for future ERASMUS+ activities. It will also provide support to capitalise on the `competitive advantage" that Dublin now enjoys as a centre for EU studies as a result of its position as the capital city of the only English-speaking Member State, and the jurisdiction where many digital undertakings central to this research are located and regulated.
Funding Agency
Erasmus+
Programme
Erasmus+
Project Type
Centre for Excellence
Project Title
 Court Interpretation in Wales and the Republic of Ireland
From
2023
To
2025
Summary
Funding Agency
Arts and Humanities Research Council
Programme
International networking grant
Project Type
Networking grant
Person Months
18
Project Title
 Court Interpretation in Wales and the Republic of Ireland
From
To
Summary
Funding Agency
SLSA
Programme
SLSA Event Grant
Project Type
Conference/Workshop
Project Title
 Supporting Irish Language Use on a Cross-Community Basis"
From
2021
To
2022
Summary
Funding Agency
Irish Research Council & The Department of Foreign Affairs
Programme
New Foundations Award
Project Type
Network building
Person Months
12
Project Title
 Building a Cross-border Data Protection Network
From
2020
To
2022
Summary
Funding Agency
Economic & Social Research Council/Irish Research Council
Programme
Networking Grant
Project Type
Network building
Person Months
24

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Language Skill Reading Skill Writing Skill Speaking
French Fluent Fluent Fluent
Irish Fluent Fluent Fluent
Details Date From Date To
Incorporated Council of Law Reporting of Ireland January 2024 Present
Director and Board Member of the Irish Centre for European Law October 2021 Present
Board Member of the Irish Supreme Court Review February 2022 Present
Ordinary Member Society of Legal Scholars September 2020 Present
Ordinary Member Socio-Legal Studies Association September 2020 Present
Ordinary Member Council of European Studies June 2025 Present
Róisín Á Costello, Unreasonable and Impracticable: Interrogating the scope of the State"s duty to facilitate legal proceedings in the Irish language, Just. Journal of Language Rights & Minorities, 2026, Journal Article, IN_PRESS
Roisin A Costello, Ireland (mostly) at The Bar, Dublin University Law Journal, 2026, Journal Article, IN_PRESS
Róisín Á Costello and Liz Heffernan, Subsequent Legal Developments and Admissibility of Evidence: DPP v Smyth [2024] IESC 22, Irish Supreme Court Review, 2025, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Róisín Á Costello, Anglophone Presumptions in the Courtrooms of Wales and the Republic of Ireland: Some Initial Thoughts on Achieving Language-neutral Courtrooms, Revista de Llengua i Dret, 2025, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text
Róisín Á Costello, Law in Irish Literature: Critical Approaches to Institutions, Power and Identity, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2024, Book, IN_PRESS
Brian Merriman in, editor(s)Eric Falci , The Cambridge History of Irish Poetry, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2024, [Róisín Áine Costello], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
Non-Material Damages under Article 82 GDPR in, editor(s)Róisín Á Costello and Mark Leiser , Critical Reflections on the EU"s Data Protection Regime, Oxford, Hart, 2024, [Róisín Á Costello], Book Chapter, IN_PRESS
Irish Language Rights and the Courts of Justice Act 1924 in, editor(s)Niamh Howlin , The Courts of Justice Act 1924, Dublin, Four Courts Press, 2024, [Róisín Á Costello and Judge Úna Ní Raifeartaigh], Book Chapter, IN_PRESS  URL
Róisín Á Costello, The Test in Kelly v Hennessy and Article 82(1) GDPR, Irish Judicial Studies Journal, 8, (2), 2024, p22-, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Róisín Á Costello, The Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 and compliance with the European Charter of Regional and Minority Languages, Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, 2024, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

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Róisín Á Costello, Critical Reflections on the EU's Data Protection Regime, Oxford, Hart, 2024, Book, PUBLISHED
Róisín Áine Costello, The Decision in Quirke v DPP: Dividing A Computer's Body and its Soul, UCD Public Law Conference, University College Dublin, 2023, 2023, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Róisín Áine Costello, Mionteangacha agus léirmhíniú reachtúil i R on the application of Driver v Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council [2020] EWCA Civ 1759, Cumann Barra na Gaeilge: Ceardlann Forbairt Gairmiúil, An Leabharlann Dlí, 25 September 2023, 2023, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Róisín Áine Costello, Reflections and Recommendations on the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill 2022 / Machnaimh agus Moltaí ar an mBille Féiniúlachta agus Teanga (Tuaisceart Éireann) 2022, 2022, 2023, Report, PUBLISHED
Róisín Áine Costello, Brittle Constitutionalism in the European Legal Order: Re-embedding the Social and Economic Aspects of the European Union"s Constitutional Identity, 1, Bologna, Italy, 2022, Book, PUBLISHED
Róisín Áine Costello, World Bank Report on Women, Business and the Law, Irish Centre for European Law, 2022, Report, PUBLISHED
Róisín Áine Costello, Language Use and Language Learning in Northern Ireland: Building Linguistic Capacity for Reconciliation / Úsáid Teanga agus Foghlaim Teanga I dTuaisceart Éireann: Cumas Teanga a Fhorbairt don Athmhuintearas , 2022, 2022, Report, PUBLISHED
Róisín Áine Costello, The Official Languages Act: More than Performative Allegiance in Public Spaces?, The Legal Status of Irish, Trinity College Centre for Constitutional Law & Governance, Dublin, 2021, 2021, Conference Paper, PUBLISHED
Maria Grazia Porcedda, with David Fennelly and Róisín A Costello, Data Protection and the COVID-19 Pandemic, https://www.tcd.ie/law/2020.21, Ireland, Covid-19 Law and Human Rights Observatory, Trinity College Dublin, 2021, Report, PUBLISHED
Róisín Áine Costello, World Bank Report on Women, Business and the Law, Irish Centre for European Law, 2021, Report, PUBLISHED

  


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Award Date
Fellow of International Economic Law (Georgetown Law) 2014-2015
International Student Scholarship (Georgetown Law) 2014-2015
Róisín is an EU lawyer and researches and works on EU law with a particular focus on privacy and data protection law and EU constitutionalism, including the intersectional of constitutionalism and digital technologies. Róisín's research in EU law has been funded by the IRC and ESRC. The second strand of Róisín's research focuses on minority language rights, with a particular focus on regional and minority languages, and language rights more generally in Ireland and the European Union. Róisín's research has afforded particular attention to the rights of minority language speakers in courtroom settings, and the role of courtroom interpretation in the right to a fair hearing. Róisín has received funding from the SLS, SLSA, The Arts and Humanities Research Council,and the Irish Research Council & The Department of Foreign Affairs for research projects related to her research in minority language rights. Róisín is also interested in the intersection of law and the humanities - in particular the portrayal of law and lawyers in literature and what this can tell us about the impacts of law on identity, language and expression.