Personal profile
Biography
Dr. Roisin Mulgrew is an Associate Professor in Law. She is the lead for the Crime, Punishment and Rights Research Cluster and Programme Director for the LLM in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Human Rights. Previously, Dr. Mulgrew was Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor in Law at the University of Nottingham (2010-2020). Dr. Mulgrew is currently a Director on the Board of Irish Penal Reform Trust and a member of the expert panel of the Office of the Inspector of Prisons. Dr. Mulgrew completed a Bachelor of Corporate Law and LL.B. at University of Galway before moving to University of Nottingham to undertake the LL.M. in International Criminal Justice and Armed Conflict. With funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, she completed the MA in Socio-legal and Criminological Research and a PhD at University of Nottingham School of Law.
Dr. Mulgrew is an expert in international penal law and human rights. Her monographs include Towards the Development of the International Penal System published by Cambridge University Press in 2013 and Early Release in International Criminal Law, published by Elgar publishing in 2025. Her research has been published in numerous renowned peer-reviewed journals and edited collections. Recent articles featured in Human Rights Law Review , Incarceration and the Journal of International Criminal Justice . She was lead editor for the Research Handbook on the Punishment of Atrocity Crime (2024) and the Research Handbook on the International Penal System (Elgar, 2016). She also co-edited a special edition of International Criminal Law Review on National Prosecutions of International crimes: Sentencing Practices and (Negotiated) Punishments (2019) and a symposium in the Journal of International Criminal Justice on Post-Trial (In)Justice: Reflections on the Legacies and Impacts of Atrocity Crime Prosecutions (2023). She is currently working on a monograph, International Principles of Prison Law and Policy, with Emeritus Professor van Zyl Smit for Oxford University Press.
In January 2025, Dr Mulgrew was appointed as scientific expert by the Council of Europes Council for Penological Cooperation to revise the 2012 Committee of Ministers Recommendation concerning foreign prisoners and its Commentary. Dr Mulgrew has previously acted as an expert and consultant for a number of international penal policy and rights bodies and projects. These include the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, the Council of Europe's Council for Penological Cooperation (PC-CP) and Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, the Euromed III Justice Project and the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas. She co-authored the UNODC Handbook on the International Transfer of Sentenced Persons. She has been a member of the EUROPRIS-CEP Expert Group on Foreign Nationals in Prison and Probation since 2013 and has written updates for the Human Rights Spotlight segment of the EUROPRIS newsletter. She was recently part of COST Action 18228 on Global Atrocity Justice Constellations and member of the Research Advisory Panel for UKRI project SAFESOC.
Research Interests
Sentencing, Punishment, Imprisonment, Justice, Punishment of Atrocity Crimes,Human Rights, Liberty Deprivation
Education/Academic qualification
BA Corporate Law & LLB Phd
Accepting PhD Students
- Accepting PhD Students
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
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SDG 4 Quality Education
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Early Release in International Criminal Law
Mulgrew, R., 1 Mar 2025, Cheltenham. 364 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review
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Research Handbook on the Punishment of Atrocity Crime
Mulgrew, R., 1 Nov 2024Research output: Book/Report › Edited Book › peer-review
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Death and death prevention in European prisons
Mulgrew, R., 5 Dec 2025, The Routledge Handbook of European Penology. Snacken, S., Cliquennois, G., Durnescu, I., Humblet, D. & Larrauri, E. (eds.). RoutledgeResearch output: Chapter in Book or Conference Publication/Proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
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Early Release in International Criminal Law
Mulgrew, R., 1 Jan 2024.Research output: Contribution to conference (Published) › Paper
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Healthcare in Prisons
Mulgrew, R., 1 Jan 2024, EuroPris.Research output: Other contribution (Published) › Other contribution
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Foreign Nationals in Prison and Probation
Mulgrew, R. (Speaker)
19 Nov 2025Activity: Talk or presentation (Unpublished) › Invited Talk
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Early Release in International Criminal Law
Mulgrew, R. (Speaker)
23 Oct 2025Activity: Talk or presentation (Unpublished) › Invited Talk
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Improving prisoner death statistics to promote positive health and trauma informed care
Mulgrew, R. (Speaker)
24 Sep 2025Activity: Talk or presentation (Unpublished) › Invited Talk
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Irish Penal Reform Trust (External organisation)
Mulgrew, R. (Member)
Sep 2025 → Dec 2025Activity: Membership › Membership of committee
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Foreign Nationals in Prison and Probation in Europe
Mulgrew, R. (Conference Organising Committee Chairperson)
26 Jun 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising a conference, workshop, ...