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King's Inns: Understand the complex public procurement regime in Ireland

The online course provides participants with a comprehensive and practical knowledge of the public procurement regime in Ireland

Barrister and one of the coordinators of the advanced diploma in Public Procurement Law, Dr Aoife Beirne BL, discusses how this online course at King’s Inns provides participants with a comprehensive and practical knowledge of the public procurement regime in Ireland. Presented by leading experts in this area, lectures are delivered online in 1.5-hour early-morning live Zoom sessions, to allow professionals to participate regardless of their geographical location.

Public purchasing is now central to the internal market. Three new EU directives were adopted in 2014 and implemented in Ireland in May 2016, meaning that public procurement law is a crucial, fast-moving and complex area of law. In recent years, the area has also led to increased litigation, where disputes between disappointed tenderers and contracting authorities play out in the courts. To stay competitive and appreciate the complex legal framework in which public procurement operates, gaining a practical understanding of the law in Ireland and the EU is vital for all procurement professionals and businesses who undertake large or small contracts.

The highly sought-after advanced diploma in Public Procurement Law, currently in its seventh year, returns to King’s Inns this October, 2021. Its focus is on providing participants with a comprehensive and practical knowledge of the public procurement regime, including the recent amendments. It addresses a range of issues in-depth, from invitations to tender to conduct the various procurement processes, selection of tenderers, tender evaluation, contract conclusion and procurement litigation.

Participants also acquire an understanding of how procurement can be used to achieve innovation and promote government policies. They receive a thorough grounding in the differences between the utilities and public sector regimes and the intersection between procurement law and competition, state aid and intellectual property.

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I found this diploma course a very valuable learning experience

The Diploma will appeal to procurement professionals, public sector and utilities employees, academic and government researchers, policymakers, practising lawyers, regulators and judges. It would also appeal to any business that undertakes large or small public and private contracts within the State.

“Our speakers include barristers (both junior and senior counsel), partners in many of the top law firms, high ranking state legal advisors and members of the judiciary. This mix of speakers makes this course very attractive to procurement professionals and lawyers alike. The wealth of the speakers’ legal knowledge and practical experience in the area of public procurement law helps each participant to understand the legal framework in which public procurement operates and the complicated legal issues which can arise”, says Dr Aoife Beirne BL, one of the course coordinators for this course.

Aoife is a practising barrister based at The Bar of Ireland, with a civil, commercial and European-based practice including public procurement law. She jointly co-ordinates the course with Dr Catherine Donnelly SC, a leading procurement practitioner. As well as lecturing at King's Inns, Aoife has lectured in Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, and the Law Society of Ireland, and she regularly delivers CPDs and training on several subjects. Aoife is the also current chair of the Irish Society for European Law (ISEL), an association of practising and academic lawyers to promote the study and practice of European Law in Ireland.

Starting in October, the course will take approximately 18 weeks to complete, with lectures on Wednesdays from 8.30am to 10am from October to February / March. It will be delivered in an online format only, live via Zoom, with recordings of lectures available after class is over. There will also be some live, unrecorded sessions, including a panel discussion with leading experts, and a lecture from a member of the judiciary. No attendance is required in-person at King’s Inns. This course delivery allows people to participate regardless of their geographical location. Interactive elements such as class discussions and tutorials will not be recorded and will be cast live only.

Our speakers include barristers, partners in many of the top law firms, high ranking state legal advisors and members of the judiciary

According to one recent graduate; “I found this diploma course a very valuable learning experience. The materials and the online resources were great and made researching much easier. As the course was delivered online this year, with the majority of the lectures pre-recorded, it allowed me to view the lectures and study the papers in my own time. The process of submitting the assignments online was also very easy. I would highly recommend this course to anyone working directly or indirectly in the area of public procurement.”

The course fee is €2,550, and to be awarded the Advanced Diploma a participant is required to successfully complete one written assessment, which will cover the entirety of the course. There are no admission requirements for this course. However, a place on the highly sought-after course is not secured until the course fee is received in full.

The application deadline for the course is midnight on Sunday, October 3rd, 2021. To view the class schedule and the list of expert speakers for this course - and also apply for this Diploma, visit the King's Inns website.

About King’s Inns

Based between Henrietta Street and Constitution Hill in Dublin 1, King’s Inns is an independent educational institution renowned for professional legal education and training. It is Ireland’s oldest School of Law and one of Ireland’s significant historical environments

As well as educating future and qualified barristers, the School extends its reach to a diverse community of people from legal and non–legal backgrounds offering accessible part-time courses in specialist areas of the law.

With courses taught by expert law practitioners, King’s Inns students include leaders, advocates, innovators, and game-changers, from industries across Ireland and abroad. The School excels in promoting the use of the Irish language in the law.

For more information, visit kingsinns.ie