Ivana Catherine Bacik (born 1968) is an Irish politician and academic. She has been Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) Law School since 1996, and was a made a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin in 2005. She was elected a Senator for the University of Dublin constituency of Seanad Éireann in July 2007.

She has an LL.B. from TCD and an LL.M. from the London School of Economics. She practises as a barrister, and teaches courses in Criminal law; Criminology and Penology; and Feminist Theory and Law at Trinity. Her research interests include criminal law and criminology, constitutional law, feminist theories and law, human rights and equality issues in law. She is known in particular for her pro-choice campaigning since the 1990s, and her high media profile.

Her family name is of Czech origin. Her paternal grandfather, Karel Bacik, a Czech factory owner, moved to Ireland with his young family when the Communists began to take over private businesses. He eventually settled in Waterford and in 1947 was involved in the establishment of Waterford Crystal. Her mother's side of the family are Murphys from County Clare.

Catherine McGuinness (born 14 November 1934) is a retired judge and activist. She is a former barrister, Senator, the President of the Law Reform Commission and judge of the Circuit Court, justice of the High Court and Supreme Court of Ireland. In January 2011 she was appointed to the Council of State by President Michael D Higgins.

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, McGuinness was educated in Alexandra College, Trinity College Dublin and the King's Inns. In the 1960s she worked for the Labour Party. She was called to the Irish bar in 1977 at age 42. In 1989 she was called to the Inner Bar.

In 1979 she was elected as an independent candidate to Seanad Éireann at a by-election on 11 December 1979 in the Dublin University constituency following the resignation of Conor Cruise O'Brien, taking her seat in the 14th Seanad. She was re-elected at the 1981 elections to the 15th Seanad, and in 1983 to the 17th Seanad, where she served until 1987. She lost her seat to David Norris. She was appointed to the Council of State on 2 May 1988 by President Patrick Hillery and served until 1990.

Sanal Edamaruku is the founder-president of Rationalist International. He is also the president of the Indian Rationalist Association. He is the editor of the internet publication Rationalist International, author of 25 books and numerous articles.

He was born in 1955 in Thodupuzha, in Kerala, India to Joseph Edamaruku and Soley Edamaruku. In 1977, he obtained a Master's Degree in Political Science from the University of Kerala. Afterwards, he received an M.Phil Degree from the Department of South Asian Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in International Studies. While writing his thesis towards his doctorate, he began working for the Afro-Asian Rural Reconstruction Organization. He gave up his job in 1982 to focus more on the Indian Rationalist Association and publishing his own works. He also has a diploma in Journalism.

Edamaruku has been active in the Rationalist Association from the age of 15. He has been the General Secretary of the IRA since 1983, and has been the editor of its mouthpiece Modern Freethinker. He has authored many books and articles which deal mainly with rationalistic thoughts and anti-superstition prevalent in India. He has carried out investigations which have helped expose many frauds, mystics and 'godmen' as well as campaigns against superstition in Indian villages. His activities have attracted the attention of print and television media. The documentary film "Guru Busters" features Edamaruku and a team of rationalist campaigners on the road in Kerala giving public demonstraions of how to perform supposedly supernatural stunts. He is a regular TV commentator on various Indian TV channels on superstitions and blind belief and is a major voice in defense of reason and scientific temper in India. He has also delivered lectures in various countries including the US and many European countries. He has helped build the Indian Atheist Publishers, which is now Asia's largest freethought publishing house.