EU law expert Professor Tobias Lockhas joined Maynooth University’s law department.

He moves to Maynooth from the University of Edinburgh where he specialised in EU law.

German bar

Professor Lock previously lectured at University College London, the University of Surrey and the University of Erlangen, where he also obtained most of his legal education. He is admitted to the German bar.

Tobias’ research interest lies broadly in the EU’s multilevel relations with other legal orders.

Frontline actors

His main focus is on courts as frontline actors in this plural legal environment. He has published two books on the relations between the European Court of Justiceand international courts and has done much work on the relationship between the EU and the European Convention on Human Rights, in particular the EU’s accession to the Convention.

His other research interests include EU constitutional law, comparative constitutional law and law and religion.

Tobias' research has been dominated by legal questions surrounding Brexit and he has given written and oral evidence to parliamentary committees at Westminster, Holyrood and Cardiff Bay.

He has been commissioned by the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales to draft briefing papers on Brexit.
 
Engagement award

In recognition of his Brexit work, he received a British Academy Rising Star Engagement Award in 2018, which allowed him to create the Brexit and Rights Engagement Network for early careers scholars.

In 2018 he served as a member of the Scottish First Minister's advisory group on human rights leadership, which recommended a stronger incorporation of human rights – in particular economic, social and cultural rights – into Scottish law.