James Gallen

Ireland could prosecute Twitter/X for AI 'child porn' deepfakes The horrific child sex abuse material produced every day by Grok is already banned under Irish law. The real test is if we are ready to enforce that law against large tech companies

An important intervention @conorom.bsky.social Irish authorities must show some courage. We deferred to religious authorities in the past and ignored widespread child abuse. We should not ignore the risks and responsibilities of Twitter/X to prevent harms to children today. shorturl.at/dvVqL

In 2025 reparations became central to UK ties with the Caribbean and Africa – so how do we move forward? | Kenneth Mohammed This year was a pivotal one, in which the issue of restorative justice began to frame the UK’s post-imperial relationship with the global south

"While Africa and the Caribbean are institutionalising reparations as a development and justice agenda, the former colonial metropoles remain stuck at the level of avoidance. The result is an asymmetry: one side is building frameworks while the other is offering silence." shorturl.at/PUxf7

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

Lovely to start the year by seeing a glowing review of our Transforming Justice Responses book by Professor Pádraig McAuliffe published in @slsjournal.bsky.social. Read it here: shorturl.at/Toeqp

'Scoping exercise' into Michael Shine abuse to get Cabinet approval “There should be no stone left unturned and no ‘what-ifs’ at the end of this process,” a solicitor for the victims said.

This is an important first step from the state for the survivors of Micheal Shine. A scoping inquiry can inform and shape the terms of reference for a statutory public inquiry and other justice responses to meet victim-survivor needs www.thejournal.ie/michael-shin...

Mother and baby home records held in database ‘not fit for purpose’ Tusla warned Government that system would require ‘significant’ redevelopment to ensure preservation

Further evidence of the lack of seriousness and rigor with which the state has treated archives and non-recent records. We have access to all of the large tech companies on this island, the lack of support, political will and budget for modern solutions is absurd. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Happy birthday! Very much looking forward to the book, it looks great!

Delighted to see my PhD student Lia O'Broin's first publication out in the world: www.ushrj.org.uk/ushrj-2025-i...

Response to Kathleen Daly (2024) Stepping Out of the Shadow of Transitional Justice: A Theoretical Framework for Institutional Justice In “Stepping Out of the Shadow of Transitional Justice: A Theoretical Framework for Institutional Justice,” Kathleen Daly recently developed a new theoretical framework of institutional justice and...

I was honoured that Prof Kathy Daly ‪@griffith.ed.au reflected at length on my work applying a transitional justice approach to institutional abuses. This is my response to her proposed alternative of a distinct conception of "institutional justice". www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

We are recruiting for the Legal Voluntary Internship Programme with the IBA’s Human Rights Institute, Legal Policy & Research Unit, Executive Director in international Criminal Law and eyeWitness to Atrocities in London from January–March 2026. Email your application to internprogramme@int-bar.org

Transitional Justice and the Historical Abuses of Church and State Cambridge Core - Twentieth Century Regional History - Transitional Justice and the Historical Abuses of Church and State

Delighted that my first monograph #Transitionaljustice and Historical Abuses of Church and State has got over 10,000 unique downloads/views #openaccess www.cambridge.org/core/books/t...

Investigating historic schools abuse a ‘major pull’ on Garda resources, authority warns Fewer offences of possession of child sexual abuse material due to resource issues at online child exploitation unit

Gardai need more resources to address these investigations in a systemic manner www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

A victim of historical abuse in Ireland on confronting his attacker twenty years on John McMahon – who was abused by social worker Ken Larmour over 50 years ago – secretly taped and confronted his attacker in the 1990s.

www.thejournal.ie/john-mcmahon...

Survivors want 'barbaric' corporal punishments in schools to be included in new inquiry Corporal punishment was banned in Ireland in 1982, but many former pupils allege violent attacks still took place as a form of discipline.

www.thejournal.ie/schools-abus... As in other jurisdictions sexual abuse sits on a spectrum of abuse of children. The forthcoming Commission will likely just address sexual abuse - it wont tell a coherent truth if doesnt acknowledge the other forms of violence present at the time of sexual abuse.

Tusla and Government clash over bed spaces for at-risk children Correspondence shows disagreement between department and agency over handling of special care placement shortages

The Irish state historically outsourced "care" of vulnerable children to Church until the 1990s - and has not adequately invested in children since. This is a large structural injustice for generations: www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Caribbean leaders back Jamaica petition to King Charles for slavery reparations Caricom summit gives ‘broad support’ for request to Charles as region steps up campaign for justice

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Man kidnapped by Argentina’s military regime as baby is reunited with relatives Forty-nine-year-old is 140th child found by Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, who search for people ‘disappeared’ under 1976-83 dictatorship

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j... justice work only possible due to long slow and relentless work of victims families and advocates

What did the PM know? France reels at ‘absolute cruelty’ ... A report accuses prime minster François Bayrou of failing to act over the depravity of Bétharram

observer.co.uk/news/interna... "Everyone knew and nobody did anything." Sadly so familiar

Well done Mark, brilliant journalism and vital public service.

Slavery reparations group takes fight to Westminster and Brussels Lobbying effort by independent delegation follows Jamaica’s move to ask King Charles to request legal advice

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Victims of paedophile Michael Shine outline what inquiry into his abuse would look like It follows a recent meeting with the Health Minister, during which she asked the victims to return with a list of their key demands.

Glad to support survivors in pursuit of meaningful investigation of the systemic failures related to Michael Shine's decades of abuse: www.thejournal.ie/michael-shin...

George Gibney arrested in US on foot of extradition request Gardaí seek extradition of former swimming coach after investigation into alleged child sex abuse

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025... An important step in justice for survivors in this case

‘A supermarket for sexual predators’: abuse scandal at elite boarding school shakes France Legal complaints filed by former pupils accuse priests and staff of physical or sexual abuse from 1957 to 2004

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j... Further evidence that the need to address child sexual abuse in the Catholic church is an ongoing global issue that needs national and Vatican level changes in law policy and practice to meet survivor justice needs.

Repatriation Cost Analysis: A Framework and Model - First Peoples Cultural Council The Repatriation Cost Analysis is a tool for Nations to assess stage of repatriation and estimate the resources needed for this work.

Full report here: fpcc.ca/resource/rep...

After 150 years, a prized box returns to an Indigenous nation in Canada: ‘I felt like royalty traveling with it’ The unlikely return of the bentwood box underscores the challenges facing Indigenous communities working to reclaim items raided from their lands

A new report estimates it would cost nearly C$663m (£353m) over five years to the fund repatriation for all 204 First Nations in British Columbia. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Abuse survivors left waiting too long for redress from Scouting Ireland Youth organisation continues to fight historical sex abuse cases in the courts, despite apologies and promises

www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/co... Victim-survivors of non-recent abuses across different sectors have a terrible time when seeking justice through litigation. Reform of our civil procedure (cost protections, statute of limitations, legal aid) is necessary for effective access to justice.

Work to excavate Tuam mother and baby home site to begin Catherine Corless says the 796 children kept her going during ‘painful’ fight for justice

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/soci... This would not have happened without the tireless work of Catherine Corless, survivors, families, advocates and the international scrutiny that the truth brought on Ireland. Necessary, painstaking work ahead.

Pope Leo XIV faces major test over Opus Dei reforms When Pope Leo XIV summoned the leader of Opus Dei to see him, in one of his first official papal audiences, Vatican watchers immediately began to wonder what the meeting meant.

www.ncronline.org/opinion/pope... Ability to control and regulate the diverse Catholic religious orders and groups is a key to an effective and consistent approach to addressing child sexual abuse in Catholic church.

'Significant increase' in allegations of abuse against Catholic Church members, report says The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church said there were 385 allegations made last year.

www.thejournal.ie/increase-abu... Combined with Scoping inquiry report, this further evidences the widespread nature of child abuse in day schools in Ireland.

The Dublin scout leader who died a day before his trial and the men who accuse him of abuse Neville Kearns died in a crash in 2024, a day before he was due to stand trial on charges relating to assault, rape and attempted rape of boys in the 1980s and 1990s

www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/20...

Thousands of child abuse records kept in storage costing €80,000 a year Long-promised law to transfer documents to the National Archives of Ireland has not been passed

The state has been ignoring this since the failure of the Retention of Records Bill 2019. Legislation preserving and regularising the CICA RIRB and McAleese inquiry records can and should proceed the establishment of the National Centre for Research and Remembrance www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...