Accidental Activist: Ep 3, Mary Lawlor

A pioneering figure in the global human rights movement, Mary Lawlor reflects on her remarkable career advocating for human rights defenders across the world. Drawing on decades of experience, including her service as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders, Mary discusses the increasing pressures facing activists today and the importance of international solidarity.  She also offers advice for the next generation of campaigners and shares insights gained from supporting defenders working in challenging environments.    What turns an ordinary person into an activist? Accidental Activist is a special mini-series from the Activist Lawyer Podcast sponsored by Humanitas Media and hosted by Brian Dooley and Sarah Henry. Through candid conversations with campaigners and human rights defenders, the series explores how people from a range of backgrounds found themselves standing up against injustice. These are not stories of people who set out to become activists. They are stories of individuals who responded to challenges, inequality, discrimination, environmental harm, violence or injustice in their communities and discovered the power of collective action. Their experiences demonstrate that you do not need a particular qualification, title or profession to become an advocate for change. All it takes is a willingness to act. Across four compelling episodes, Brian and Sarah speak with remarkable guests about their journeys, achievements, challenges and the lessons they have learned along the way.   About the Hosts: Sarah Henry is a solicitor, human rights advocate and host of the Activist Lawyer Podcast. Originally from Newry, County Down, Sarah has extensive experience working on human rights, equality and social justice issues. Through her legal practice, advocacy work and podcasting, she is committed to amplifying the voices of activists and campaigners and encouraging others to become agents of positive change in their communities.   Brian Dooley is a leading human rights advocate, writer and campaigner. He is a senior adviser with Human Rights First and has spent decades working with human rights defenders and activists across the globe. Brian is the author of several books on human rights and activism, including his forthcoming book Defiance, which is available now. Throughout his career, he has documented abuses, supported grassroots activists and championed the rights of those working for justice and equality.

In this episode of The Activist Lawyer, we speak with Laura Neal, lawyer at Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland, about the deepening ecological crisis at Lough Neagh, where toxic blue-green algal blooms, agricultural pollution and governance failures have placed the UK's largest freshwater lake under unprecedented pressure. We explore how strategic environmental litigation is increasingly being used to hold public authorities accountable, examine the growing movement for the Rights of Nature, and discuss why recognising legal rights for the natural world is not simply a radical idea but an emerging legal necessity in the face of accelerating environmental breakdown.   Important Links:  Petition: Save Lough Neagh | Friends of the Earth Why is Lough Neagh dying? | Friends of the Earth Help protect people and planet | Friends of the Earth Save Lough Neagh | Facebook   About Laura  Laura Neal is a senior lawyer and solicitor for Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland a position she has held for 8 years. In that time she has led on strategic litigation that supports communities in Northern Ireland to protect people, planet and place. She was recognised as an “unsung hero” in the 2025 ENDS Powerlist of the UK’s most impactful environmental professionals and together with communities and civic society organisations, she has been involved in successful litigation such as the “No Gas Caverns” legal case and the recent “Clean Air Case” on the diesel emissions MOT scandal. Friends of the Earth have also recently intervened in the A5 Road case and are actively participating in the public inquiry into goldmining in the Sperrin Mountains and the current legal challenge concerning the pollution of Lough Neagh.  

Hajrija Čobo joins Brian and Sarah to discuss her journey as an environmental rights defender and campaigner. She shares how concerns about environmental harm and its impact on local communities led her into activism, and reflects on the legal and advocacy efforts she has undertaken to protect environmental rights. The conversation explores the growing recognition of environmental issues as human rights issues, the obstacles faced by environmental defenders, and the determination required to challenge powerful interests in pursuit of justice and accountability.   What turns an ordinary person into an activist? Accidental Activist is a special mini-series from the Activist Lawyer Podcast sponsored by Humanitas Media and hosted by Brian Dooley and Sarah Henry. Through candid conversations with campaigners and human rights defenders, the series explores how people from a range of backgrounds found themselves standing up against injustice. These are not stories of people who set out to become activists. They are stories of individuals who responded to challenges, inequality, discrimination, environmental harm, violence or injustice in their communities and discovered the power of collective action. Their experiences demonstrate that you do not need a particular qualification, title or profession to become an advocate for change. All it takes is a willingness to act. Across four compelling episodes, Brian and Sarah speak with remarkable guests about their journeys, achievements, challenges and the lessons they have learned along the way.   About the Hosts: Sarah Henry is a solicitor, human rights advocate and host of the Activist Lawyer Podcast. Originally from Newry, County Down, Sarah has extensive experience working on human rights, equality and social justice issues. Through her legal practice, advocacy work and podcasting, she is committed to amplifying the voices of activists and campaigners and encouraging others to become agents of positive change in their communities.   Brian Dooley is a leading human rights advocate, writer and campaigner. He is a senior adviser with Human Rights First and has spent decades working with human rights defenders and activists across the globe. Brian is the author of several books on human rights and activism, including his forthcoming book Defiance, due to be published in October. Throughout his career, he has documented abuses, supported grassroots activists and championed the rights of those working for justice and equality.

What’s behind the upcoming Law Society of Northern Ireland Special General Meeting?   In this episode of Activist Lawyer, we are joined by Rosemary Connolly, recently retired solicitor with over 30 years in private practice to discuss the factual background to the SGM called for 9th September in Belfast.   Rosemary talks us through the issues that have led to the meeting, the importance of solicitors engaging with the process, and the wider questions raised around character references in cases involving sexual violence.   The conversation also explores why it matters that members have the information they need to participate fully and make their own decisions at the meeting.   Special General Meeting: 9 September 2026, Belfast  

In this episode of Accidental Activist, Johanna Nejedlová, co-founder of Konsent, shares the story behind one of Europe's most influential consent education initiatives. Johanna discusses how her work emerged from a desire to challenge harmful attitudes around sex, relationships and consent, and explains why education is essential to preventing violence and promoting healthy relationships. She reflects on the development of the Konsent movement, the challenges of changing public attitudes, and the importance of equipping young people with the knowledge and confidence to understand and communicate consent. More info: Konsent Content warning: This episode discusses sexual violence and may be distressing for some listeners.   Accidental Activist A new Activist Lawyer Mini-Series    What turns an ordinary person into an activist? Accidental Activist is a special mini-series from the Activist Lawyer Podcast sponsored by Humanitas Media and hosted by Brian Dooley and Sarah Henry. Through candid conversations with campaigners and human rights defenders, the series explores how people from a range of backgrounds found themselves standing up against injustice. These are not stories of people who set out to become activists. They are stories of individuals who responded to challenges, inequality, discrimination, environmental harm, violence or injustice in their communities and discovered the power of collective action. Their experiences demonstrate that you do not need a particular qualification, title or profession to become an advocate for change. All it takes is a willingness to act. Across four compelling episodes, Brian and Sarah speak with remarkable guests about their journeys, achievements, challenges and the lessons they have learned along the way.   Humanitas Media  This episode is part of a limited series sponsored by Humanitas Media, where human rights meet human stories. Brian Dooley's upcoming book, DEFIANT: Profiles of Resistance, will be released on October 13, 2026, published by Humanitas Media. Learn more at HumanitasMedia.org and connect with them on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Today's episode is a short update from our host, Sarah with some exciting news about our upcoming mini-series. More info coming soon! 

In this episode of Activist Lawyer, Sarah speaks with Zahraa Al-Jameel, a law student, content creator and passionate autism advocate working to challenge exclusion and systemic oppression. Zahraa advocates for a more intersectional approach to autism, highlighting the experiences of marginalised autistic people who are too often overlooked or excluded from mainstream conversations. Her work explores the intersection between law, accessibility, disability and social justice as she continues her journey to become a human rights barrister.   Law student and content creator with a passion for autism advocacy and intersectionality, Zahraa Al-Jameel provides a safe inclusive space for everyone in her social media platform. Her advocacy includes autism and how to make autism advocacy intersectional and focuses on the marginalised autistic people that are often dismissed by whitewashed autism media. She is unafraid to call out any hypocrisy, lack of intersectionality and any form of systematic oppression and violence. She uses her voice to uplift and collaborate with marginalised autistic people alongside parents, teachers, doctors, etc. Zahraa leads with accountability, authenticity, humility and honesty.    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/autism-month-series-2026-unemployment-zahraa-al-jameel-pq1ce - autism and unemployment article.    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/jump-juztice-accessibility-law-how-saves-lives-zahraa-al-jameel-fnoae - accessibility and the law. 

Sarah revisits an interview with solicitor Ciaran Moynagh from Phoenix Law in Belfast.  Ciaran talks about how he became a lawyer specialising in human rights, equality, family law and specialist criminal defence.  Listeners might be familiar with some of Ciaran’s high-profile cases including Lee v Asher's Bakery Company (the ‘gay cake’ case) as well as his work around advancing same sex marriage and transgender rights in Northern Ireland.  Ciaran Moynagh is an experienced Solicitor Advocate with a diverse caseload that points to his passion for human rights & equality, family & matrimonial law and specialist criminal defence.  Ciaran is a multi-award-winning solicitor with a reputation for both challenging public bodies and the decisions they make, and also representing the interests of his clients in family courts and criminal trials. Ciaran acted in the same sex marriage legal challenge known as Petition X and also advised on the legislation ultimately used to introduce same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. As part of the Love Equality Consortium he was instrumental in the campaign for equal marriage including talks with NI’s political leaders.  He represented the couple, Laura Lacole and Eunan O’Kane in the legal challenge which secured the right for couples in Northern Ireland to register humanist marriages. Other successful judicial reviews resulted in greater protection of the privacy of transgender people in the UK and access to fertility treatment for same sex couples. Ciaran also acts for a number of charities mainly around potential interventions into legal challenges. He was instructed by the AIRE Centre in an immigration case before the European Court of Justice as well as for the Royal College of Midwives in JR 76 which challenged the prosecution of a mother for purchasing abortion pills online. More recently he has advised and assisted with an application by Mr Lee to the European Court of Human Rights in the internationally debated matter of Lee -v- Asher’s Bakery, the so-called “gay cake” case. Ciaran also has a passion for family and matrimonial law and regularly appears before Family Courts at all tiers. He is the Northern Ireland representative of the UK & Ireland LGBT Family Law Institute as well as a member of the Northern Ireland Children Order Panel.  In 2021 he was made a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers as well as being added to the solicitor panel for the Northern Ireland Guardian Ad Litem Agency. In his family work, Ciaran deals with private law contact / residence disputes that include complex issues such as emotional abuse commonly called parent alienation. He also regularly deals with public law family matters that have social services involved due to allegations of abuse, neglect or non-accidental injury. Ciaran has specialist knowledge and expertise on same sex family’s creation and representation. Ciaran is one of the few lawyers in NI giving expert advice on both domestic and international surrogacy arrangements. In a criminal context, Ciaran has been a long-standing member of the Belfast duty solicitor scheme. He has particular expertise in cases involving online legal issues, for example, social media harassment, revenge porn and so-called ‘paedophile hunters’ stings. Ciaran retains a criminal defence caseload exclusively dealing with complex fraud, terrorism and sexual offences providing robust representation right from police station right through to the Crown Court.

When Louise O'Keeffe took her case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights, she changed the landscape of accountability in Ireland. But decades later, many of her former classmates and survivors of sexual abuse in Irish schools are still seeking redress.   In this episode, Sarah is joined by Louise O'Keeffe and Professor Conor O'Mahony of University College Cork, to discuss justice, state responsibility, and why the campaign continues.    Links to the judgement in O'Keeffe v Ireland:    https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-140235#{%22itemid%22:[%22001-140235%22]}    Link to Prof Conor O'Mahony https://research.ucc.ie/en/persons/conor-omahony/   Trigger Warning This episode contains discussion of sexual abuse, including references to traumatic experiences that some listeners may find distressing. Listener discretion is advised. If this topic may be triggering for you, please consider whether it is safe for you to listen or access this content at this time.

What happens when citizenship can be taken away? Why are immigration detainees still struggling to access quality legal advice? And has legal aid been 'strangled by reform'? Host Sarah Henry sits down with Dr Ayesha Riaz to discuss her fascinating research on citizenship deprivation, immigration detention and the long decline of legal aid. Drawing on years of practice and academic research, Ayesha examines the consequences of government policy for lawyers, migrants and access to justice across the UK.   About Ayesha Riaz Ayesha has been working at the University of Greenwich since 2019. She worked as a part time teacher and taught undergraduate students law at the London School of Economics and Political Science for several years. She also worked as a visiting lecturer at the University of East London.   Ayesha completed her PhD from Queen Mary University of London on 30 November 2025. As part of the PhD, she investigated the relationship between the British State and solicitors that assist asylum seekers in the UK from 1949 to 2024. Ayesha's interest in this area emanated from her professional experience. She previously worked at the largest legal aid firm in the UK and provided legal advice and assistance to those that were vulnerable such as detained and non-detained asylum seekers/victims of domestic violence and victims of trafficking.   Ayesha has a keen interest in conducting research. One of her papers was awarded the best paper prize by a doctoral student from the Society of Legal Scholars in 2025. She previously won the Impactful Research and Knowledge Exchange Award as part of the staff awards at the University of Greenwich in 2024. Her work has appeared in leading law journals, and has been cited by the United Nations General Assembly and the House of Lords International Agreements Committee.   Find out more about Dr Riaz's work and publications here:   Ayesha Riaz | People | University of Greenwich