Page last updated: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
While the European Union (EU) public procurement regime has long been in place, it has received greater prominence in recent years, in particular, following the introduction of the remedies regime in 2010, and the automatic suspension of the conclusion of a contract following a challenge.
Public purchasing is also central to the internal market and the EU procurement rules have been reformed, with three new directives adopted in 2014 and implemented in Ireland in May 2016. There is a significant volume of CJEU (Court of Justice of the European Union) case law in this area, as well as an expanding national jurisprudence. It is an important and rapidly evolving area of law.
This unique Advanced Diploma will provide participants with a comprehensive and practical knowledge of the public procurement regime, and will address a range of issues in depth, from invitations to tender, to conducting the various procurement processes, selection of tenderers, tender evaluation, contract conclusion and procurement litigation.
Participants will also acquire an understanding of how procurement can be used to achieve innovation and promote government policies. Participants will have 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.
On completion of the course, you should be better able to:
The course will appeal to procurement professionals, public sector and utility employees, academic and government researchers, industry, policymakers, legal practitioners, regulators and judges. It will also appeal to all businesses that undertake big or small public and private contracts.
Having a diverse group of professionals studying this course together allows participants to learn from each other, especially during tutorials and Q&A sessions.
“I would highly recommend this course to anyone working in Public Procurement. Lectures had excellent content, especially in terms of the depth of information supplied, based on procurement case law, application of legal frameworks, and relevant directives. Access to online resources was invaluable, including Moodle resources. Tutors and support staff were extremely responsive to all queries. Learnings and interaction with other students were invaluable throughout the process.”
2022 GRADUATE
The designers and lead lecturers of the course are barristers Dr Catherine Donnelly SC and Dr Aoife Beirne BL.
Catherine is one of Ireland’s leading procurement practitioners. She specialises in data protection, public procurement, competition, regulatory and European law. Aoife has a civil, commercial and European–based practice including public procurement law. As well as lecturing at King’s Inns, she has lectured at many other leading universities across Ireland.
This course takes place in an online format only, live via Zoom, with recordings of lectures available after class is over. Interactive elements such as class discussions / tutorials will not be recorded and will be cast live only.
The course takes place over approx. 18 weeks from October to April, with lectures on Wednesdays from 8.30 am to 10 am.
Course Start Date: October 2023 – date to be confirmed
Most classes are recorded using eLearning software and made available to students for streaming via our Virtual Learning Environment (Moodle). This means that, while all students are welcome to attend class live via Zoom, most of the sessions will be recorded so that students who are unable to attend can catch up on the material by streaming the video in their own time.
All class notes are available to read through our Virtual Learning Environment. Online tutorials and IT support are available to help students navigate their way through our library and legal resource databases.
King’s Inns is built on networking and engagement. Over the year, we invite students to attend and participate in various social events, fireside chats and talks. Events take place either online or in–person. All of this contributes to the learning experience that is King’s Inns.
Please note the course content is subject to change in accordance with new developments in this area.
This is a professional development course and it is accredited independently by The Honorable Society of King’s Inns. The skills and competence gained in studying at King’s Inns are transferable, portable and recognised internationally. It is a valuable qualification delivered by distinguished lawyers, members of the judiciary, legal and other practitioners specialising in legal education.
To be awarded the Advanced Diploma, a participant is required to successfully complete one written assignment.
Provisional assessment schedule: Assignment will be released closer to the end of term 2.
Barrister–at–Law graduates who are subscribing members to King’s Inns receive a 10% discount on this course. You must receive your discount code before applying. View more information here.
There are no admission requirements for this course. A place on the highly sought–after course is not secured until the tuition fee is received in full. Once payment is received, you are automatically accepted on the course.
Application Deadline: Applications will open in April 2023