Dublin Rape Crisis Centre to be conferred with Bar of Ireland’s Human Rights Award 2025
08 May 2025
Award in recognition of work and advocacy in the elimination of sexual violence
The 2025 Bar of Ireland Human Rights Award will be conferred on Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC), in recognition of the Centre’s work in the protection, care, and rights of people affected by sexual violence.
Since 1979, DRCC has worked to prevent the harm and heal the trauma of sexual violence. The organisation plays a pivotal role in advancing support systems and legal protections for survivors of sexual violence, contributing to vital societal change and legislative reform in Ireland.
The Award will be presented at The Bar of Ireland human rights conference, At The Margins: Three Priority Areas through a Human Rights Lens, this Saturday, 10th May 2025. This in-person, half-day event will bring together leading legal minds, academics, and advocates to explore critical human rights issues in housing, prison law, and gender-based violence.
Speaking ahead of the event, Seán Guerin SC, Chair of the Council of The Bar of Ireland, said: “This Conference offers an important platform for dialogue on how the law can and must respond to society’s most pressing human rights challenges.
“As legal practitioners, we have a duty not only to uphold the law but also to critically examine how it interacts with real-life experience. The Conference allows us to bring together diverse voices from The Bar, civil society and academia to have what will hopefully be worthwhile and productive dialogue.
“The presentation of the Human Rights Award to Dublin Rape Crisis Centre reminds us of the tireless, often unseen work being done to protect and uphold the dignity of some of the most vulnerable in our society. The work of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is invaluable to those on the bench and at The Bar of Ireland, and it should be acknowledged and carefully considered as we continue to examine how the administration of justice can be improved and the rights of all persons sensitively and fairly upheld”, he added.
Rachel Morrogh, CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, receiving the Award on behalf of the organisation said: “Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is honoured and humbled to receive the prestigious Human Rights Award from The Bar of Ireland. The award recognises the transformative impact that our volunteers and staff have on the lives of survivors, and it acknowledges how our work is central to the restoration of human rights breached by acts of sexual violence.
“I am extremely proud that The Bar Council’s Human Rights Committee specifically identified our support for victims of sexual violence in the criminal courts, civil courts, Garda stations, international protection office and the workplace relations commission as having advanced human rights in Ireland.
“I hope that this Award will increase awareness of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s work amongst people affected by sexual violence and encourage them to access our information and support. Equally, I think it is an acknowledgement that navigating the justice system is a very challenging experience for survivors and that further reform is needed to make it truly victim-centred.
“Dublin Rape Crisis Centre believes that adopting a human-rights lens to policies and measures that prevent, prosecute and eliminate sexual violence is critical to ensuring all citizens can live full lives. In particular, we are increasingly concerned about the expectation that women should put limits on their own freedoms to protect themselves.
‘Having specific regard to theme within the conference, relating to violence against women, a society that supports the restriction of one group’s freedom in an attempt to mitigate the behaviour of another group is rationalising into a future where basic human rights are eroded. Given what is happening internationally and the normalisation of sexual violence by powerful and influential men, this award could not be a more timely reminder that standing up for justice and truth is more important than ever.”
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The conference will include three panel discussions:
Panel 1 - Shelter as a Right? Housing, Homelessness and the Law |
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Panel 2 - Detention and Dignity: Developments in Prison Law |
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Panel 3 - Violence against Women: Contemporary Issues in Tackling Gender-Based Violence |
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ENDS//
About The Bar of Ireland’s Human Rights Award
This Bar of Ireland Human Rights Award is made in recognition of outstanding contributions in the field of human rights.
Past recipients of the Award include:
- The National Traveller Mental Health Network (N.T.M.H.N)
- MASI – Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland
- Dr. Mike Ryan, World Health Organisation
- Tomáš Reichental
- Orla Tinsley
- Catherine Corless
- The Irish Naval Service
