A study into the political and symbolic significance of imprisonment during times of conflict has won a top award for a University of Ulster law student.

Ruby Moshenska, a student on the LLM in Human Rights Law and Transitional Justice programme at the Transitional Justice Institute (TJI), has been awarded the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission Prize for the best dissertation submitted in 2012.

Ruby’s paper, ‘The Prison Was the Battlefield’: Conflict Imprisonment and Resistance in Northern Ireland and South Africa, examines the issues of prisons as sites of profound political and symbolic significance in States experiencing conflict.

Professor Bill Rolston, Director of the Transitional Justice Institute said: “The TJI would like to thank the Human Rights Commission for continuing to sponsor this prestigious award which recognises the outstanding scholarship of the students on the LLM programme.

“We extend our congratulations to Ruby on this excellent achievement.”

Professor Michael O’Flaherty, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission added: “The Commission would like to offer its congratulations to Ruby on her award winning dissertation.

“We are also delighted to work in partnership with the Transitional Justice Institute in promoting human rights education in Northern Ireland.”

Ruby’s dissertation is available on the TJI website at: www.transitionaljustice.ulster.ac.uk

Notes to Editors

The TJI/NI Human Rights Commission Dissertation Prize is awarded annually for the best dissertation in the LLM in Human Rights Law programme, which is run by the Transitional Justice Institute at the University of Ulster at both Jordanstown and Magee campuses.

For more details about the LLM Human Rights Law and Transitional Justice programme, visit www.transitionaljustice.ulster.ac.uk