Mr Justice Charleton deliveres lectures at University of Galway

On 21 January, Mr Justice Charleton, in his role as adjunct professor at the University of Galway, delivered two lectures to students studying Criminal Justice.  For the evidence lecture, Mr Justice Charleton gave a talk about the recent decision in Poptoshev v Ireland [2025] IESC 47, which considers the right to silence and whether legislation which requires individuals to give over passwords to devices seized under warrants infringes the right against self-incrimination, making it unconstitutional.

Mr Justice Charleton also gave a lecture about the recent sentencing guideline judgment of The People (DPP) v GN [2025] IECA 254 to the Advanced Criminal Justice students and the Criminology students, providing insights into how, in practice, a guideline judgment is written, and how guideline judgments operate in this jurisdiction.  In conjunction with this, a lecture was also delivered on the recent decision of The People (DPP) v DT [2025] IESC 25, which analysed the law of possession.  Specific attention was given to joint enterprise in possessing drugs, which can be established if the surrounding circumstances indicate that the accused was knowingly involved in the control of contraband.  The law of participation was further analysed in the lecture, as well as inchoate offences, and whether a jury may draw support from the failure of the accused to provide an explanation, when required under statute, for their presence at a location where drugs were discovered. 

Mr Justice Charleton speaking at the University of Galway