Research Profile

Sean Whittaker

Biography

Sean Whittaker graduated from the University of Dundee with a 1st class honours LLB in Scots Law, and obtained a LLM in Environmental Law with Distinction at the University of Dundee. Sean is currently a PhD candidate at University College Cork under the supervision of Dr Áine Ryall. During his LLM studies, Sean was awarded the Carnegie-Cameron Taught Postgraduate Bursary. In 2013 Sean was awarded a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship from the Irish Research Council, and in 2015 Sean was awarded the Aidan Synnott Graduate Travel Bursary to conduct doctoral research at China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, China. Sean's doctoral studies were previously funded by the University College Cork Law Faculty PhD Scholarship and the Comyn Kelleher Tobin Graduate Bursary.

Sean worked as a legal researcher at the Centre for Freedom of Information at the University of Dundee in 2012, where he assisted the Centre in researching the application of the Aarhus Convention throughout the European Union. He has also visited Vermont Law School as a Visiting Scholar, and has interned at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the John Muir Trust. In addition, Sean has tutored Introduction to the Legal System at University College Cork, focusing on legal history and comparative law.

Sean's PhD thesis is entitled "Legal Transplants and Regimes Governing Access to Environmental Information: A Comparative Study." The thesis focuses on the right to access environmental information, how the right is guaranteed at a domestic level in three selected jurisdictions and whether the legal procedures guaranteeing the right could travel between jurisdictions through legal transplant theory. 

Research Interests

  • Environmental rights
  • Environmental justice
  • Sustainable development
  • Legal Theory

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journals

 YearPublication
(2017)'The Right of Access to Environmental Information and Legal Transplant Theory: Lessons from London and Beijing'
Sean Whittaker (2017) 'The Right of Access to Environmental Information and Legal Transplant Theory: Lessons from London and Beijing'. Transnational Environmental Law, 6 (3):509-530 [DOI] [Details]
(2013)'Access to Environmental Information and the Problem of Defining Public Bodies'
Sean Whittaker (2013) 'Access to Environmental Information and the Problem of Defining Public Bodies'. Environmental Law Review, 15 (3):230-238 [Details]

Electronic Journals

 YearPublication
(2014)Inviolability of the Dwelling, Planning Enforcement Actions and Miss Fortune: An Analysis of the Cases Between the County Council of Wicklow and Fortune.
Sean Whittaker (2014) Inviolability of the Dwelling, Planning Enforcement Actions and Miss Fortune: An Analysis of the Cases Between the County Council of Wicklow and Fortune. Electronic Journals   [Details]

Professional Activities

Honours and Awards

 YearTitleAwarding Body
2015Aidan Synnott Graduate Travel Bursary University College Cork
2014Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship 2014 Irish Research Council
2013University College Cork, Law Faculty PhD Scholarship University College Cork
2013Comyn Kelleher Tobin Graduate Bursary University College Cork
2012University of Dundee, Carnegie-Cameron Taught Postgraduate Bursary University of Dundee
2012Whitehall Prize University of Dundee

Conference Contributions

 YearPublication
(2017)The Right of Access to Environmental Information in the United Kingdom and the United States: Divergent Paths to the Same Goal?,
Sean Whittaker (2017) Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference 2017. [Oral Presentation], The Right of Access to Environmental Information in the United Kingdom and the United States: Divergent Paths to the Same Goal?, Dublin , 05-SEP-17 - 06-SEP-17. [Details]
(2016)The Potential Convergence of Environmental Information Regimes: the Aarhus Convention in England, the US and China,
Sean Whittaker (2016) 8th Annual Postgraduate Research Symposium on Environmental Law. [Oral Presentation], The Potential Convergence of Environmental Information Regimes: the Aarhus Convention in England, the US and China, University College Cork , 20-APR-16 - 20-APR-16. [Details]
(2016)Legal Transplants and the Right of Access to Environmental Information in China and England,
Sean Whittaker (2016) IV UCL-KCL Postgraduate Environmental Law Symposium. [Oral Presentation], Legal Transplants and the Right of Access to Environmental Information in China and England, Kings College London , 25-FEB-16 - 25-FEB-16. [Details]
(2015)Access to Environmental Information in England: How Best to Balance Competing Rights?,
Sean Whittaker (2015) Center for Criminal Justice and Human Rights 9th Annual PhD Symposium Rights in Conflict: Socio-Legal and Critical Approaches to Human Rights. [Oral Presentation], Access to Environmental Information in England: How Best to Balance Competing Rights?, University College Cork , 08-JUN-15 - 09-JUN-15. [Details]
(2015)Reviewing Refusals to Disclose Environmental Information in England and the United States: In Search of New Approaches,
Sean Whittaker (2015) 7th Annual Postgraduate Research Symposium on Environmental Law. [Oral Presentation], Reviewing Refusals to Disclose Environmental Information in England and the United States: In Search of New Approaches, University College Cork , 22-APR-15 - 22-APR-15. [Details]
(2014)The Environmental Information Regime in England,
Sean Whittaker (2014) 5th Annual Colloquium on Environmental Scholarship. [Oral Presentation], The Environmental Information Regime in England, Vermont Law School, VT, United States , 04-OCT-14 - 04-OCT-14. [Details]
(2014)Adjudicating Environmental Information Appeals in England: How Best to Deliver Access to Justice?,
Sean Whittaker (2014) Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference 2014. [Oral Presentation], Adjudicating Environmental Information Appeals in England: How Best to Deliver Access to Justice?, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England , 09-SEP-14 - 12-SEP-14. [Details]
(2014)Access to Environmental Information in the Provision of Water and Sanitation Services: the Impact of Case C-279/12 Fish Legal v. Information Commissioner in England and Scotland,
Sean Whittaker (2014) II Strathclyde Postgraduate Colloquium on Environmental Law and Governance. [Oral Presentation], Access to Environmental Information in the Provision of Water and Sanitation Services: the Impact of Case C-279/12 Fish Legal v. Information Commissioner in England and Scotland, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland , 05-JUN-14 - 05-JUN-14. [Details]
(2014)Reflections on the Role of the Right to Access Environmental Information in the 21st Century,
Sean Whittaker (2014) 6th Postgraduate Research Symposium in Environmental Law. [Oral Presentation], Reflections on the Role of the Right to Access Environmental Information in the 21st Century, University College Cork , 02-APR-14 - 02-APR-14. [Details]
(2014)Teaching Mature Students as a Young Lecturer: The Issue of Active Engagement,
Sean Whittaker (2014) In the Deep End – Learning to Teach at Higher Education. [Oral Presentation], Teaching Mature Students as a Young Lecturer: The Issue of Active Engagement, University College Cork , 27-FEB-14 - 27-FEB-14. [Details]

Employment

 EmployerPositionFrom / To
University of Dundee Research Assistant01-JAN-18 /
Courts Service Judicial Assistant18-SEP-17 / 22-DEC-17
University College London Project Navigator31-MAY-16 / 10-JUN-16
University College Cork, Law Faculty Tutor29-JAN-14 / 28-APR-17
University of Dundee, Centre for Freedom of Information Legal Researcher02-JUL-12 / 02-AUG-12
Scottish Environment Protection Agency Legal Intern04-JUN-12 / 18-JUN-12
John Muir Trust Legal Intern06-JUN-11 / 20-JUN-11

Education

 YearInstitutionQualificationSubject
2013University of Dundee LLMEnvironmental Law and Sustainable Development
2012University of Dundee LLBScots Law

Other Activities

 Description

Successfully completed "Chinese Law Study" course at the Fourteenth Summer Program at China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, China.

Teaching Activities

Teaching Interests

  • Comparative Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Legal History
  • Legal Theory

Contact details

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School of Law

Scoil an Dlí

Room 1.63, Aras na Laoi, T12 T656

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