Coordinated by Dr David Browne BL, an Advanced Diploma in Planning and Environmental Law at King’s Inns is proving to provide engineer professionals with valuable insights into the current and emerging legal issues within the planning, engineer, architecture and construction industries.

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.

King’s Inns is now accepting applications for this Advanced Diploma in Planning and Environmental Law. The course will begin on Tuesday, October 7, 2021

Comprehensive practical knowledge

This Advanced Diploma provides participants with a comprehensive practical knowledge of Planning and Environmental Law, which will be relevant to engineering professionals who are involved in advising on planning and strategic infrastructure applications, enforcement issues, development plans and strategic planning, waste management and climate resilience and adaptation.

Upon completing the course, students will be able to use relevant legal terminology competently and correctly; apply appropriate legal principles to a range of factual scenarios, and evaluate, criticise and defend legal arguments on planning and environmental law.

The course attracts people working as planners, engineers, architects, and construction managers; those working as An Bord Pleanála inspectors and consultants; local authority professionals; people working with NGOs; and anyone working in the planning and environmental area. Having a diverse group of professionals studying this course together allows participants to learn from each other, especially during tutorials and Q&A sessions.

'Over the past number of years in Ireland, the Irish Legal System has witnessed an increase in complex ligation cases, challenges to planning decisions and judicial reviews, all pertaining to Environmental Law. This course provides a great insight into the complexity of these issues, and how careful one must be when navigating through the Irish Planning Process. For me, the course provided me with a better understanding of the most recent Irish and European Environmental Law that could potential affect planning decisions (e.g. Habitats Directive) and how I should approach planning applications for the industry I currently work in.' Graduate of 2020

As well as being the coordinator for this course, Dr David Browne BL is a practising barrister specialising in administrative, local government, planning, environmental and procurement law. He is the author of ‘The Law of Local Government’ and the third edition of ‘Simons on Planning Law’ as well as the co-author of ‘Procurement Law in Ireland’.

This course will be delivered in an online format only, live via Zoom, with recordings of lectures available after class is over. Interactive elements such as class discussions and tutorials will not be recorded and will be cast live only. There will be no in-person attendance at King’s Inns for class, though they hope to host an event for students later in the course, public health regulations permitting.

The design of the course schedule is to accommodate the needs of participants who are in full-time employment. It will take more than 22 weeks, with lectures on Thursdays from 8.30am to 10am from October 2021 to May 2022.

The course fee is €2,850. To be awarded the Advanced Diploma, a participant is required to complete two written assessments successfully. 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, September 26, 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 or click here. 

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, please visit KingsInns.ie or click here.