Hayley Mulligan

Online Safety Legal Officer

Hayley joined the Alliance in June as the Online Safety Legal Officer. Hayley was part of the small team that established the first Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission’s (IHREC) from 2021 to 2024. Her work focused on policy drafting, legal research, coordination, and survivor and stakeholder engagement. Before joining the IHREC, Hayley was the Violence Against Women Officer for the National Women’s Council’s where she developed and progressed the rights of women to live free from all forms of gender-based violence. Hayley spent more than a decade working in the area of Sexual Health Education facilitation and policy development with Sexual Health West (formally AIDS West). Hayley was awarded her Ph.D. in Law from University of Galway under the supervision of Prof Donncha O’Connell. Her research examined the determination of parentage following a surrogacy arrangement with a particular focus on the rights of surrogate mothers. Hayley has an LL.M from the Irish Centre of Human Rights and a BA (Public and Social Policy) from University of Galway where she achieve first honours in both and the President’s University Scholar Award in 2010 and 2011. Hayley also has a Higher Diploma in Immigration and Asylum Law from Kings Inns. Over her career, Hayley has developed a particular expertise in feminist legal research,  policy and legislative development on all forms of gender based violence, with particular knowledge of: reproductive and sexual violence/exploitation law, policy and practice; sexual harassment and violence; domestic violence and family law; criminal law; constitutional law; international human rights law; human trafficking, and; immigration law.