A two-day symposium examining the policing and regulation of sex work in Ireland begins at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) today.

The symposium is the first event organised by the Commercial Sex Research Network Ireland (North and South), which has been established by academics at QUB, University of Limerick, Maynooth University and NUI Galway.

The event has been co-organised by Dr Tanya Serisier in QUB’s School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work and Dr Graham Ellison in the School of Law.

The flyer can be downloaded here.

It will hear from researchers and academics as well as legal professionals, including solicitor Wendy Lyon of KOD Lyons Solicitors.

The research network exists to promote research, feed into the development of evidence-based policy in both jurisdictions, and support researchers who “sometimes find themselves isolated or facing a hostile reception to their work”.

Dr Tanya Serisier told Irish Legal News that there is “definitely scope for people from the legal profession to get involved”.

She added: “If people were interested, we’d be very keen for them to be involved and there’s potential for them to speak at events and to network with people.”