Dr Ian Marder

A board director since 2023 and deputy chairperson since February this year, Dr. Ian Marder is a lecturer and researcher in criminology at Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology. He teaches primarily in the fields of policing, victimology and restorative justice. His research spans the breadth of the criminal justice process, including collaborative projects which aim to improve victims’ access to restorative justice and other support services and enhance the use of research evidence in policymaking and practice.

Previously, Dr Marder acted as a Council of Europe scientific expert to draft a European legal framework on restorative justice. He received his PhD in Law from the University of Leeds Centre for Criminal Justice Studies and worked as research associate at the University of Liverpool. He is a member of the Irish Penal Reform Trust. In his time at V-SAC, he was the board lead for the development and publication of the 2025-2027 strategic plan. With CCJ coordinator Sara Murphy, he represented V-SAC at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration this year at hearings focused on supports and experiences of victims of crime. Its report, published in October 2026, can be read here.

During his time as Chairperson, Mr Fleming oversaw a significant expansion of V-SAC’s services to become a fully national organisation in 2024. V-SAC is deeply grateful to Mr Fleming for his time, work and custodianship. He will continue as a board member into 2027, when his second term will end.

Following his appointment Dr Marder said: “I am honoured to be appointed the chairperson of Victim Support at Court. I already had huge respect for the organisation before I joined its board as director. Getting to know the staff and volunteers better and see how well V-SAC is run has been a privilege. I will do everything I can to continue the fantastic work of my predecessor, Ian Fleming. I look forward to working closely with Dympna Kenny, CEO, and the directors to shepherd the organisation and allow it to focus on its core goal: helping victims to navigate the court process with dignity and compassion.”

Dympna Kenny, V-SAC CEO, said: “I am delighted to welcome Dr. Ian Marder as chairperson of V-SAC. Ian brings great expertise, commitment and leadership to the role and I look forward to working with him as we continue to support victims through the court process. I would also like to sincerely thank Ian Fleming for his outstanding contribution as chairperson over the past three years. His leadership was instrumental in guiding V-SAC through a period of growth, and we are grateful that he will continue to serve on the Board.”

MrFleming said: “It was an absolute honour for me to be appointed as chairperson of V-SAC by my fellow directors and I was glad to be able to assist in substantially delivering on our strategic objectives.

“None of this would have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our wonderful staff and the unwavering selflessness of our amazing volunteers across the country who give of their time and expertise to support victims of crime when navigating the court process. I would like to thank them all for the work that they do day in and day out to ensure the success of V-SAC.”