Martin Tansey Memorial Lecture 2023 - Judicial Discretion and the Justice and Welfare Dichotomy: The Sentencing of Children in the Irish Youth Justice System
ACJRD is grateful to Dr John O’Connor, Judge of the Circuit Court, who presented the 16th Annual Martin Tansey Memorial Lecture, “Judicial Discretion and the Justice and Welfare Dichotomy: The Sentencing of Children in the Irish Youth Justice System” in the Criminal Courts of Justice on 20th April, 2023. Dr John O’Connor is a Judge of the Circuit Court and an Honorary Professor of Law at Nottingham Trent University.
Drawing on his experience as a judge in the Children Court in Dublin for nearly six years, he outlined some of his findings in his doctrinal research on judicial decisions on childhood offending, with particular emphasis on sexual offences in the context of the justice and welfare debate in Ireland. His research is the first study in Ireland to explore the complex terrain of juvenile sexual offending and judicial sentencing in the Irish youth justice system on sexual offending.
Biography
Dr O’Connor is a judge of the Circuit Court since February 2019. Prior to becoming a Circuit Court Judge, he was a judge of the District Court from 2012, where for nearly six years he was the principal judge in the Children Court in Smithfield.
Dr O’Connor is an Honorary Professor of Law with Nottingham Trent University [NTU] and holds a professional doctorate. He is also a qualified solicitor with the Law Society of Ireland and holder of several degrees, including LLB from University of Galway, LLM from University College Dublin and M.Litt. from Trinity College Dublin.
A frequent lecturer to academic and professional bodies, Dr O’Connor has a particular interest in capacity, mental health and neurodiversity law and practice.