Full Breakdown
Mary Robinson Calls for Defending International Law Amid Rising Far-Right Influence
By Drooid · · How we work
Dublin Speech Highlights Threats to Global Legal Norms
Former Irish president and ex-UN human-rights commissioner Mary Robinson addressed roughly 200 delegates at the Museum of Literature in Dublin. The event, titled *Power, Accountability and the Future of the International Rule of Law*, was organised by Irish Rule of Law International with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Populism, Disinformation and the Erosion of Legal Safeguards
Robinson linked the weakening of international norms to “authoritarian political forces” exploiting social-media-driven disinformation. She argued that loud, extremist voices portray adherence to law as elitist, thereby undermining public confidence.
Human Consequences and Domestic Challenges
Robinson emphasized that breaches of international law have tangible human costs. Turning to Ireland, she highlighted rising gender-based violence: more than 31,500 domestic-abuse incidents recorded by police in the year to March 2026 and 30 women murdered since 2020, according to Women’s Aid. She warned that far-right, anti-migrant agitators risk weaponising these crises to justify intimidation.
Verbatim Quotes
- “And it’s appallingly stupid, but it seems to try to influence people and people are anxious at the moment because of the confusing messages and that is deliberate,” — Mary Robinson, a former UN commissioner for human rights
- “We live in an age where populism is in the ascendancy, driven by a combination of economic insecurity, falling trust in politics and institutions, a wave of disinformation and hate speech on social media and a pervasive feeling that leaders do not listen to ordinary citizens,” — Mary Robinson, a former UN commissioner for human rights