Tributes paid to academic Vicky Conway, who left important legacy on policing

Ireland’s Justice Minister Helen McEntee has led tributes to legal academic Vicky Conway, who has died.

An associate professor of Law at DCU, Ms Conway was appointed to the first board of the Policing Authority in January 2016, before leaving the Authority to sit on the Commission on the Future of Policing in 2017, and later being reappointed to the Authority in 2018.

Campaigners, academics, and policing bodies paid tribute to the academic for the influence she had on the reform of policing in Ireland.

The Rape Crisis Centre said Ms Conway was “our friend, ally and indefatigable champion of the vulnerable and the unheard. We are the poorer for her absence”.

Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission said in a statement that Ms Conway was “hugely loved, hugely respected and deeply committed to pursuing some of the most challenging issues facing our society around policing, ensuring people’s dignity and people’s access to justice”.

In a statement, Ms McEntee said Ms Conway had made “a substantial contribution to developing the oversight of policing in Ireland”.

“I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of Dr Vicky Conway.

“Vicky made an important contribution to Irish society through her academic and professional work.

“Her voice has been a prominent one in relation to policing and criminal justice, and was at all times one of conviction and challenge. Her deep commitment to the human rights of the most vulnerable was evident in all of her work.

“I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to Vicky’s family and loved ones, her friends, colleagues and all the students she inspired through her teaching. Vicky’s untimely passing has shocked and saddened us all.

“May she rest in peace.”

Bob Collins, chair of the Policing Authority, said: “Vicky’s contribution to policing was rooted not only in academic curiosity but in a genuine desire to ensure that everyone’s engagement with the Garda Siochana, in particular those most vulnerable in our society, was rooted in a respect for their humanity and a vindication of their human rights.

“Her contribution to and impact on the work of the Authority and the oversight of policing is an important legacy for which we should all be very grateful.

“Those of us who worked very closely with Vicky witnessed not only her passion for oversight but her strong appreciation of the challenging work that police officers perform on our behalf and a desire to improve things on the ground for them.”

In a statement on Twitter, the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission said Dr Conway was “a leading voice for the modernisation and reform of policing and policing oversight in Ireland, and for the placement of transparency, accountability, and human rights at the heart of this process”.

“Dr Conway was also a thoughtful, authoritative and considered critic of the work and statutory underpinnings of GSOC, and an important driver of the transformation of the organisation that is currently underway.”

An Garda Siochana said in a statement: “An Garda Síochána is saddened to learn of the death of Dr Vicky Conway.

“Dr Conway made a significant contribution to policing here and in the UK through her academic research, publications and lectures, as well as her membership of both the Policing Authority and the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.

“Vicky’s passion for human rights-focused policing was evident in all her engagements with myself and my Garda colleagues. She was a strong and dedicated advocate for vulnerable members of society and minority communities.

“An Garda Síochána sends its condolences to Vicky’s family and friends.”