Conor A. Gearty KC (Hon), FBA (born November 1957) is the Professor of Human Rights Law[1] at LSE Department of Law. From 2002 to 2009, he was Director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights[2] at the London School of Economics. His academic research focuses primarily on civil liberties, terrorism and human rights.
Conor Gearty was born in Ireland and graduated in law from University College Dublin was before moving to Wolfson College, Cambridge in 1980 to study for a master's degree and then for a PhD. He became a fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1983. In 1990, he moved to the school of law at King’s College London, where he was first a senior lecturer, then a reader and finally (from 1995) a professor.[3]
Gearty is also a practising barrister and a founder member of Matrix Chambers. He has also been a visiting professor at Boston University, the University of Richmond and the University of New South Wales. He received honorary degrees from Brunel University and Roehampton University.[4]
Originally from Abbeylara, County Longford, Ireland, he was educated at Castleknock College before going to University College Dublin as an undergraduate and Cambridge University as a post-graduate. He had significant debating success in University, twice winning the Irish Times debating competition and serving as Auditor of the University College Dublin Law Society.[5]