معرفی
Nessa Lynch holds the Matheson Lectureship in Law, Innovation, and Technology at University College Cork, Ireland. Previously, she served as an Associate Professor (2019–2022) and Senior Lecturer (2013–2019) at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. She also held roles as a Research Fellow and adjunct faculty there. Her research focuses on emerging technologies in law enforcement, youth justice, and children’s rights. Lynch advises governmental bodies, including New Zealand Police and the Data Ethics Advisory Group, on issues like facial recognition technology and biometric ethics. She has authored multiple books, including Youth Justice in New Zealand (3rd ed., 2019) and edited volumes on global youth justice trends. Her honors include the Engagement Excellent Award (2017) and Early Career Research Excellence Award (2014). Lynch is actively involved in policy reforms, including submissions on digital justice, pandemic law, and sentencing practices for youth offenders.
Education:
- BCL (Law), University College Cork, 2003
- LLM (Law), University College Cork, 2004
- PhD (Law), University of Otago, 2009
Research Interests:
- Technology and law enforcement ethics
- Youth justice policy reforms
- Children’s rights in criminal proceedings
- Biometric surveillance regulation
Recent Grants:
- Technology-Enabled Surveillance (2024–2026)
- Young Adults in the Criminal Justice System (2021–2022)
- Facial Recognition Technology Framework (2019–2020)
Key Contributions:
- Policy Briefs on digital justice and facial recognition
- Expert testimony on policing ethics and sentencing
- Leadership roles in New Zealand’s Data Ethics Advisory Group and Policing Authorities
Awards:
- Engagement Excellent Award, Victoria University of Wellington (2017)
- Early Career Research Excellence Award, Victoria University of Wellington (2014)
Labs/Teams:
- Leading UCC’s interdisciplinary research on law-technology intersections
- Collaborations with global institutions like Terre des Hommes and the EU on child rights
