Professor Conor Gearty KC

Professor Gearty, who was born in Ireland and studied law at University College Dublin before moving to England in the 1980s, was a widely-respected scholar as well as a practising barrister.

He was a member of Matrix Chambers, where he was a founding member in 2000, and a professor of human rights law at LSE, where he was previously founding director of the Centre for Human Rights in 2002.

President Michael D. Higgins led tributes, hailing Professor Gearty as “an inspirational human rights figure for young scholars and activists in the field” who had “earned the deep respect of so many of his fellow theorists”.

“Through his work as a researcher and teacher as professor of human rights law at the London School of Economics, and as a practitioner through Matrix Chambers, he was a leading figure in the advocacy of civil liberties and human rights,” he said.

Matrix Chambers, which has launched an online condolences page, described Professor Gearty as “a giant of the global legal community”.

“A brilliant and formidable scholar, debater and advocate, and an inspirational teacher and colleague, his contributions to public law and human rights scholarship reverberated throughout courtrooms, academia and well beyond,” it said in a statement.

“His voice was unique in its clarity, force and wit, and his loss is immeasurable. But his legacy will live on through the generations of students he taught, and those of us lucky to have called him a colleague and a friend. We will miss him greatly.”

LSE Law School said: “Underpinning Conor’s professional achievements were exceptional personal qualities: not merely extraordinary energy, curiosity and vitality, but ready humour, real kindness, and outstanding warmth.

“His office door was always open, often with students waiting outside for the appointments with which he was so generous, or colleagues chatting informally, more often than not accompanied by gusts of laughter.

“We treasure his memory, even as we measure the depth of his loss.”

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission said Professor Gearty was “a towering figure in the field of human rights”.

“Through his scholarship, legal practice and public engagement, he strove to ensure that principles of dignity, equality and justice, were not just ideals but active realities,” it said.

“At IHREC we work towards a society where everyone’s human rights are respected, and equality is more than a promise. In Conor’s work we saw that belief made manifest.

“His fearless voice and advocacy will have a lasting legacy in the global fight for human rights, equality, justice and dignity. He will be sorely missed, but his work will continue to inspire those of us who carry forward the mission of human rights and equality in Ireland and beyond.”