Ciara joined Newcastle Law School as a lecturer in September 2013. Prior to joining Newcastle she completed her PhD at Queens University Belfast, which focused on the enforcement of environmental law in Northern Ireland. She also holds an MSc in Leadership for Sustainable Development and an LLB, also from Queens.

My research interests focus on the enforcement of environmental law and in particular questions surrounding sanctions and deterrence. My doctoral research examined the problematic approach to environmental regulation adopted in Northern Ireland, and my findings were recently featured in a BBC Spotlight programme about waste crime and the discovery of one of the biggest illegal dumps in Europe in Northern Ireland.

 I'm currently working on a project relating to environmental governance in Northern Ireland.

I teach a range of environmental law modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and also teach on the EU law undergraduate module.

• Brennan C, Purdy R, Hjerp P. Political, economic and environmental crisis in Northern Ireland: the true cost of environmental governance failures and opportunities for reform. Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly 2017, 68(2), 123-157.
• Brennan C. The Enforcement of Waste Law in Northern Ireland: Deterrence, Dumping and the Dynamics of Devolution. Journal of Environmental Law 2016, 28(3), 471-496.
• Turner S, Brennan C. Modernising environmental regulation in Northern Ireland: a case study in devolved decision-making. Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly 2012, 63(4), 509-532.
• Brennan C. Book Review: Interpreting Environmental Offences: The Need for Certainty. Environmental Law Review 2016, 18(4), 336-337.
• Brennan C. Book Review: Enforcement at the EPA: High Stakes and Hard Choices by Joel Mintz. Journal of Environmental Law 2014, 26(3), 547-549.