Regulatory Advice? Talk With Us

Need Advice?

If you are a public official and your country/regional government is thinking about developing/amending lobbying laws and you need advice, get in touch! Or if you are lobbyists wanting to understand more about lobbying laws that affect you, let us know! Contact Raj at: raj.chari@tcd.ie or contact Michele at m.crepaz@qub.ac.uk

We have advised governments and institutions throughout the globe and the team has also made several presentations to lobbyists. Past Expert Witness appearances/Research work includes:

· Scotland: Invited to give expert evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee on its Registration of Lobbying Act, November 2015 and February 2014.

· Council of Europe: Chari was the advisor to the European Committee on Legal Cooperation (CDCJ) Working Group on Lobbying Regulation, 2015-16; earlier advised the CoE’s Venice Commission, 2011-13.

· European Parliament: Expert evidence given to the Committees on Budgetary Control, Legal Affairs, Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and Constitutional Affairs, Joint Hearing, 2015.

· UK: Expert witness before the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, Westminster, 2012. Later advised the Cabinet Office on the development of the UK Lobbying Bill.

· Ireland: Invited by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, to advise on the drafting of Ireland’s lobbying laws, 2012; previously appeared before the Joint Committee on European Affairs, 2011; the team participated in a public consultation of the review of the Irish lobbying regulation act in 2019. Crepaz participated in a public consultation of the review of the Irish lobbying regulation act in 2020.

· Czech Republic: Expert Panel Presentation to parliamentary committee examining lobbying laws, 2011

· Australia: Advised the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in the development of its Report recommending a new lobbying regulatory scheme for New South Wales.

· Open Government Partnership (OGP): Chari served served as an independent researcher for the OGP, evaluating Ireland’s commitment to open government and transparency policies between 2014-2018. The extent of this multilateral organization’s impact is reflected in 79 countries (representing 2 billion people) having signed agreements with the OGP.