[[File:Informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers. Arrivals (Justice) Michael O'Flaherty (35715448476).jpg|thumb|Michael O'Flaherty (2017)]]
Professor '''Michael O'Flaherty''' is the current [[Commissioner for Human Rights|Commissioner for Human Rights]] of [[Council of Europe]]. Also he was the Director of the European Union [[Fundamental Rights Agency]] (FRA), a member from 2004 to 2012 of the [[United Nations Human Rights Committee]] (HRC).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schabas |first=William A. |date=2008-09-15 |title=PhD studies in human rights: Michael O'Flaherty Gets Most Votes in Election for Human Rights Committee |url=http://humanrightsdoctorate.blogspot.com/2008/09/michael-oflaherty-gets-most-votes-in.html |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=PhD studies in human rights}}</ref> On 19 September 2011 he took up appointment as the third Chief Commissioner of the [[Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission]] (NIHRC), the statutory [[national human rights institution]] for Northern Ireland.<ref>Belfast Telegraph report 15 July 2011</ref><ref name=NIO>[http://www.nio.gov.uk/paterson-announces-appointments-to-the-northern-ireland-human-rights-commission/media-detail.htm?newsID=17948 NIO news release 18 July 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919082844/http://www.nio.gov.uk/paterson-announces-appointments-to-the-northern-ireland-human-rights-commission/media-detail.htm?newsID=17948 |date=19 September 2011 }}</ref> He resigned as chief commissioner in October 2013.
==Early life and education==
A native of [[Salthill]] in Galway,<ref>[http://www.galwaynews.ie/20560-salthill-man-new-northern-human-rights-chief Galway News report 18 July 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813224158/http://www.galwaynews.ie/20560-salthill-man-new-northern-human-rights-chief |date=13 August 2012 }}</ref> and the son and grandson of mayors of Galway,<ref>"Role of honour: the mayors of Galway City 1485–2001", William Henry, 2002</ref> O'Flaherty attended school at [[Scoil Iognáid, Galway|Scoil Iognaid]] Gaillimh, [[Willow Park School, Dublin|Willow Park]] Preparatory School and [[Blackrock College]], Dublin. He holds degrees in law from [[University College Dublin]], in theology and philosophy from the [[Pontifical Gregorian University]] in Rome, and in international relations from the [[University of Amsterdam]]. Ordained in the 1980s as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church for the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora|Diocese of Galway]], he has not exercised priestly ministry since 1992.<ref>Belfast Telegraph report 18 July 2011</ref> He has since been laicised.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://galwayindependent.com/stories/item/5627/2013-4/Professor-Michael-O'Flaherty---Human-Rights-expert |title=Professor Michael O'Flaherty - Human Rights expert - In the news - Galway Independent |website=galwayindependent.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130128015243/http://galwayindependent.com/stories/item/5627/2013-4/Professor-Michael-O'Flaherty---Human-Rights-expert |archive-date=2013-01-28}}</ref>
In November 2019, on the basis of his published works in the field of human rights, O’Flaherty was awarded the Higher Doctorate in Laws (LLD) by the [[National University of Ireland]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Conferring of Degrees on Published Work|url=http://www.nui.ie/news/2020/PubWorkConferring.asp|access-date=2021-08-09|website=www.nui.ie|language=en}}</ref>
