Ronan graduated from the National University of Ireland, Galway with a first-class master’s degree in law, and was vice-president of the university’s law society. He is a former legal researcher with the Irish public broadcaster (RTÉ), and a former research fellow at Columbia Law School. He has published his work in a number of law reviews, including the Journal of Media Law, European Human Rights Law Review, Hibernian Law Journal, Columbia Journal of European Law, and European Human Rights Cases, and is a regular contributor to the Strasbourg Observers blog. Ronan joined the Institute for Information Law (IViR) in 2014 from Ghent University, where he has been writing his doctoral dissertation on freedom of expression and the chilling effect, under the guidance of Professor Dirk Voorhoof. Ronan is currently an editor of IRIS (the monthly newsletter on audiovisual law published by the European Audiovisual Observatory), and a researcher at the Institute.

Journal Articles

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Political Advertising Bans and Freedom of Expression,” 27 Greek Public Law Review __ (2014). (here) 

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Article 10 and the Chilling Effect Principle,” 18 (3) European Human Rights Law Review304 (2013).

R. Ó Fathaigh and D. Voorhoof, “Belpietro v. Italy: Does Parliamentary Privilege Extend to the Press?” 14 (12) European Human Rights Cases 2816 (2013).

R. Ó Fathaigh, “The Recognition of a Right of Reply under the European Convention,” 4 (2) Journal of Media Law 322 (2012).

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Anti-Abortion Protest and Freedom of Expression in Europe,” 17 Columbia Journal of European Law 47 (2011).

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Palomo Sánchez v. Spain,” 12 European Human Rights Cases 1794 (2011).

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Broadcasting Regulation in Ireland: Regulation Built on a False Premise,” 10 Hibernian Law Journal 41 (2011).

Books Chapters

R. Ó Fathaigh and D. Voorhoof, “The European Court of Human Rights, Media Freedom and Democracy,” in M. Price, S. Verhulst, L. Morgan (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Media Law (New York: Routledge, 2012).

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Case law related to Article 10 of the European Convention,” in D. Voorhoof, European Media Law (Herentals: Knops Publishing, 2011). 

IRIS Articles 

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Article 29 Working Party issues guidelines on implementation of Google Spain judgment,” IRIS - Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory, Vol. 20, Issue 2, 2015. 

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Broadcasting regulator rejects complaint over discussion of same-sex marriage,” IRIS - Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory, Vol. 20, Issue 2, 2015. 

R. Ó Fathaigh, “New law on media mergers,” IRIS - Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory, Vol. 20, Issue 2, 2015. 

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Minister publishes draft media merger guidelines,” IRIS - Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory, Vol. 20, Issue 2, 2015.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Reply to Parliamentary Assembly’s Call to Revise the European Convention on Transfrontier Television,” IRIS - Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory, Vol. 20, Issue 1, 2015. 

R. Ó Fathaigh, “New Freedom of Information Law,” IRIS - Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory, Vol. 20, Issue 1, 2015.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Radio presenter violated broadcasting code by expressing view on same-sex marriage referendum,” IRIS - Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory, Vol. 20, Issue 1, 2015.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “New Industry Guidelines for Online Child Protection,” IRIS - Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory, Vol. 19, Issue 9, 2014.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Summary of Responses to Green Paper on ‘Fully Converged Audiovisual World’ Published,” IRIS - Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory, Vol. 19, Issue 9, 2014.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “A Review of the European Court’s 2013 Term,” paper presented at the Columbia University Freedom of Expression Expert Group Meeting, New York City, February 25-26, 2014.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “The Right to Reputation under the European Convention,” paper presented at the International Association for Media and Communication Research 2013 Annual Conference, Dublin, Ireland, June 25-29, 2013.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “The Recognition of a Right to Reputation: A Judicial Response to Media Power,” paper presented at the Law & Society Association Annual Meeting 2013, Boston, Massachusetts, May 30 - June 2, 2013.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Criminal Defamation and Freedom of Expression: Lessons for Strasbourg from the Inter-American Court,” paper presented at the Irish Society of Comparative Law Annual Conference 2013, National University of Ireland, Galway, May 24-25, 2013.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Self-Censorship and the Chilling Effect Principle in European Media Law,” paper presented at the European Communication and Research and Education Association Annual Conference 2012, Istanbul, Turkey, October 24-27, 2012.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “The Chilling Effect on Authors and Publishers,” paper presented at the PEN Flanders Seminar on Free Expression and Censorship, Oostkamp, Belgium, September 29, 2012.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “The Chilling Effect Doctrine in European Human Rights Law,” paper presented at the Griffith College School of Law Annual International Human Rights Conference, Cork, Ireland, June 7-8, 2012. 

R. Ó Fathaigh, “The Growing Importance of the Chilling Effect Principle in European Court Jurisprudence,” paper presented at the Queen Mary, University of London Symposium on Freedom of Expression, London, March 19, 2012.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “The Case for Political Advertising on Private Television,” paper presented at the Centre for Studies on Media and Information and Telecommunications Conference, Brussels, Belgium April 28-29 2011.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “A Challenge to the Prohibition on Political and Religious Advertising in Broadcasting,” paper presented at the Trinity College Dublin Law Colloquium 2011, Dublin, Ireland, February 19, 2011.

R. Ó Fathaigh and D. Voorhoof,  “NGOs and Freedom of Expression: Recent Development in European Court Case Law,” paper presented at the Open Society Justice Initiative NGO Conference 2010, Strasbourg, France, October 20-22, 2010.  

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Broadcasting Regulation in Ireland: Regulation Built on a False Premise,” paper presented at the Mastering Law Conference 2010, National University of Ireland, Galway, June 3-4, 2010.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Comparative Perspectives on Mental Health Law and Minors,” paper presented at the Global PhD and Researchers Colloquium on Disability Law and Policy, National University of Ireland, Galway, April 26-27, 2010. 

R. Ó Fathaigh, “A Company’s Right to Sue for Defamation: A Reappraisal,” paper presented at the Trinity College Dublin Law Colloquium 2010, Dublin, Ireland, February 2, 2010. 

R. Ó Fathaigh, "Imposing Costs on Newspaper in Successful Source-Protection Case Did Not Violate Article 10," Strasbourg Observers, November 17, 2014. 

R. Ó Fathaigh, "A Lesson for Applicants: Don’t Agree to a Relinquishment to the Grand Chamber," Strasbourg Observers, July 4, 2014. 

R. Ó Fathaigh, and D. Voorhoof, “German Court Injunction Banning Political Leaflet Violated Article 10,” Strasbourg Observers, May 20, 2014.

R. Ó Fathaigh, and D. Voorhoof, “Newspaper Editor Criminally Liable for Senator’s Op-Ed, But Prison Sentence Violated Article 10,” Strasbourg Observers, October 7, 2013. Reposted on Inforrm, October 11, 2013.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Ban on Political Advertising Does Not Violate Article 10,” Strasbourg Observers, April 24, 2013. Reposted on Inforrm, May 1, 2013.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Banning Speech in the Public Space: Grand Chamber Agrees,” Human Rights in Ireland, August 1, 2012.

R. Ó Fathaigh and D. Voorhoof, “Criminal conviction of professor for refusal to give access to research files did not affect his convention rights,” Strasbourg Observers, April 14, 2012. 

R. Ó Fathaigh, and D. Voorhoof, “Yes, Prime Minister,” Strasbourg Observers, February 24, 2012. Reposted on Inforrm, February 29, 2012.   

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Grand Chamber Seeks to Clarify Balancing of Article 10 and Article 8,” Strasbourg Observers, February 19, 2012. Reposted on Inforrm, February 27, 2012.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Grand Chamber Judgment on Trade Union Freedom of Expression,” Strasbourg Observers, September 14, 2011.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Grand Chamber Divides on Trade Union Freedom of Expression,” Media Lawyer, September 20, 2011.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Child Pornography and Freedom of Expression,” Strasbourg Observers, October 10, 2011.

R. Ó Fathaigh and C. Wiersma, “Turkish Law Criminalising ‘Denigration of Turkish Nation’ Overbroad and Vague,” Strasbourg Observers, December 2, 2011.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Acquittal of Broadcaster for Criminal Defamation and Insult Violates Article 8,” Strasbourg Observers, July 14, 2011.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Absence of Prior-Notification Requirement Does Not Violate Article 8,” Strasbourg Observers, May 11, 2011.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Banning Speech in the Public Space,” Strasbourg Observers, March 10, 2011.

R. Ó Fathaigh, “Comparing Abortion to the Holocaust,” Strasbourg Observers, January 25, 2011.

No known ancillary activities