James Gallen

Dr

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James Gallen is an associate professor in the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University. His research and publications address a transitional justice approach to non-recent abuses in Western democracies and in Christian churches. His first monograph Transitional Justice and the Historical Abuses of Church and State was published by Cambridge University Press in 2023. His second monograph Transforming Justice Responses to Non-Recent Institutional Abuses, co-authored with Anne-Marie McAlinden (Queens University Belfast) and Marie Keenan (University College Dublin) was published by Oxford University Press in 2025. Both books are available for free as gold open access titles.

Book

Year Publication
2025 McAlinden, A.M.; Keenan, M.; Gallen, J. (2025) Transforming Justice Responses to Non-Recent Institutional Abuses. [Link] [DOI]
2023 James Gallen (2023) Transitional Justice and the Historical Abuses of Church and State. Cambridge United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009025973
2015 Farran, S.; Gallen, J.; Hendry, J.; Rautenbach, C. (2015) The diffusion of law: The movement of laws and norms around the world. [Link] https://www.routledge.com/products/9781472460400

Peer Reviewed Journal

Year Publication
2025 Gallen, J. (2025) 'Response to Kathleen Daly (2024) Stepping Out of the Shadow of Transitional Justice: A Theoretical Framework for Institutional Justice'. Victims and Offenders, . [Link] [DOI]
2022 Gallen, J.; Moffett, L. (2022) 'The Palliative Role of Reparations in Reconciling Societies with the Past: Redressing Victims or Consolidating the State?'. Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, 16 . [Link] [DOI]
2022 James Gallen (2022) 'Institutions and Ireland: Mother and Baby Homes and Transitional Justice'. Irish University Review, 52 (1):103-120. https://doi.org/10.3366/iur.2022.0545
2020 Gallen, James (2020) 'Transitional Justice and Ireland's Legacy of Historical Abuse'. Eire-Ireland, 55 (1-2).
2020 Gallen J (2020) 'The European Court of Human Rights, Transitional Justice and Historical Abuse in Consolidated Democracies'. Human Rights Law Review, 19 (4):675-704. https://doi-org.dcu.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/hrlr/ngz032
2018 Gallen, J.; Gleeson, K. (2018) 'Unpaid wages: The experiences of Irish Magdalene Laundries and Indigenous Australians'. International Journal of Law in Context, 14 . [Link] [DOI]
2018 Gallen, J. (2018) 'Historical abuse and the statute of limitations'. Statute Law Review, 39 . [Link] [DOI]
2017 Gallen J (2017) 'Vicarious Liability and Historical Abuse: A Critical Analysis of Hickey v McGowan'. Irish Jurist, 58 :184-192.
2017 James Gallen (2017) 'Catherine Turner, Violence Law and the Impossibility of Transitional Justice'. Feminist Legal Studies, . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10691-017-9338-z
2016 Gallen, J. (2016) 'Between rhetoric and reality: Ten years of the United Nations human rights council'. Irish Studies in International Affairs, 27 . [Link] [DOI]
2016 Gallen, J (2016) 'Jesus Wept: The Roman Catholic Church, Child Sexual Abuse and Transitional Justice'. The International Journal of Transitional Justice, 10 :332-349. [DOI]
2015 Gallen, J. (2015) 'O'Keeffe v Ireland: The liability of states for failure to provide an effective system for the detection and prevention of child sexual abuse in education'. Modern Law Review, 78 . [Link] [DOI]
2014 Gallen, J.; Smith, C. (2014) 'Cáin Adomnáin and the laws of war'. Journal of the History of International Law, 16 . [Link] [DOI]
2013 James Gallen (2013) 'L. May, After the War Ends; A Philosophical Perspective'. Nordic Journal of International Law, 82 (3):447-552. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15718107-08203005
2013 James Gallen (2013) 'Security Sector Reform, Models of Policing and Methods of Comparison'. IRISH JOURNAL OF LEGAL STUDIES, 3 .
2013 James Gallen (2013) 'A Humble, Stumbling Start: Lubanga, Moreno-Ocampo, and the Tenth Anniversary of the International Criminal Court '. 2 .

Book Chapter

Year Publication
2024 Gallen, J. (2024) 'The abuse crises in the Irish Christian churches' In: Oxford Handbook of Religion in Modern Ireland. [Link] [DOI]
2023 Gallen, J. (2023) 'Transitional justice and non-paradigmatic transitions' In: Research Handbook on Transitional Justice Second Edition. [Link]
2021 Gallen, J. (2021) 'Institutional liability, historical abuses and vulnerability' In: Law Responsibility and Vulnerability State Accountability and Responsiveness. [Link] [DOI]
2019 Gallen, J. (2019) 'Redressing Gendered Mistreatment: Magdalene Laundries, Symphysiotomy and Mother and Baby Homes' In: Law and Gender in Modern Ireland Critique and Reform. [Link]
2018 Gallen J (2018) 'Reconciliation and a Just Peace' In: Jus Post Bellum and the Justice of Peace. Oxford, UK : Oxford University Press.
2017 Gallen, J. (2017) 'The International Criminal Court: In the interests of transitional justice?' In: Research Handbook on Transitional Justice Research Handbooks in International Law Series. [Link] [DOI]
2017 Gallen J (2017) 'O'Keeffe v Ireland: Overview and Analysis' In: Judges Politics and the Irish Constitution. Manchester, UK : Manchester University Press. [Link]
2014 James Gallen (2014) 'Jus Post Bellum: An Interpretive Framework' In: Carsten Stahn, Jennifer S. Easterday, and Jens Iverson(Eds.). Jus Post Bellum: Mapping the Normative Foundations. Oxford, United Kingdom : Oxford University Press.
2014 James Gallen (2014) 'Transitional Justice in Nepal: Prosecutions, Reform and Accountability Strategies' In: Raluca Grosescu and Raluca Ursachi(Eds.). Transitional Criminal Justice in Post Dictatorial Societies. Brussels : Intersentia.

Edited Book

Year Publication
2017 Laura Cahillane, James Gallen, Tom Hickey (Ed.). (2017) Judges, politics and the Irish Constitution. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press,

Published Report

Year Publication
2024 james gallen; anne-marie mcalinden; Alley Albert; Sophie Van Der Valk; Marie Keenan (2024) Innovative Justice Responses for Non Recent Institutional Abuses: Restorative, Transitional and Transformative Justice. QPOL, . [Link]
2019 Gallen J; Moffett L; Sharma G; Pokharel L (2019) Report: From Relief to Redress – Reparations In Post-Conflict Nepal. Queens University Belfast, . [Link]
2019 Gallen J; Moffett L (2019) From Truth To Repair – Implementing Truth Commissions’ Recommendations on Reparations. Queens University Belfast, . [Link]

Conference Contribution

Year Publication
2018 James Gallen (2018) Towards Transitional Justice Conference on Irish Historical Abuse and Transitional Justice Boston College, .
2016 James Gallen (2016) Institutions and Ireland Constitutional Torts and Historical and Institutional Abuse TCD Dublin Ireland, .
2016 James Gallen (2016) State Accountability for Vulnerability State Accountability for Vulnerability: Interrogating the Structures of Vulnerability DCU, Dublin, Ireland, .
2016 James Gallen (2016) Law and Society Association Annual Conference The Integrity of Accountability and Transitional Justice New Orleans, USA, .
2016 James Gallen (2016) Jus Post Bellum and Just Peace Reconciliation and a Just Peace The Hague, The Netherlands, .
2018 James Gallen (2018) Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference Historical Institutional Abuse and Transitional Justice Dublin, Ireland, .
2018 James Gallen (2018) Law and Society Association Annual Conference Reparations, Historical Abuse and Structural Change in Consolidated Democracies Toronto Canada, .
2017 James Gallen (2017) Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference “Investigating an Abusive Past in Consolidated Democracies: Truth Commissions, Commissions of Inquiry and Historical Abuse Newcastle, UK, .
2015 Gallen, James (2015) ICON S 2015 Public Law in an Uncertain World Jus Post Bellum: Interpretation and the Pursuit of Coherence in Post-Conflict Law New York, NY, 01/07/2015-03/07/2015.
2012 Gallen James (2012) Jus Post Bellum: Mapping the Normative Foundations Conference Jus Post Bellum: An Interpretive Framework The Hague, The Netherlands, 31/05/2012-01/06/2012.
2010 Gallen, James (2010) Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights Post-Graduate Conference International Law in the Circumstances of Transition: Towards a Law of Transitional Justice and Development University College Cork, Ireland, 29/04/2010-29/04/2010.
2009 Gallen, James (2009) Irish Society of Comparative Law, Annual Conference The Criminal Laws of Nepal: An International and Comparative Perspective University of Limerick, Ireland, 28/02/2009-28/02/2009.
2009 Gallen, James (2009) Irish Jurisprudence Seminar Series Outreach: Justice Seen to be Done School of Law, Trinity College Dublin, 19/03/2009-19/03/2009.

Other Publication

Year Publication
2024 Gallen, James (2024) Child Sexual Abuse Reported by Adult Survivors: Legal Responses in England and Wales, Ireland and Australia. [DOI]
2015 Gallen, J. (2015) Odious debt and jus post bellum. [Link] [DOI]
2017 Gallen, James (2017) Violence, Law and the Impossibility of Transitional Justice. [DOI]
Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2026) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.

Professional Associations

Association Function From / To
Irish Society of International Law Chairperson 01/05/2015 - 01/05/2018

Honors and Awards

Date Title Awarding Body
01/05/2022 President's Award for Excellence in Teaching Dublin City University

Committees

Committee Function From / To
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-NGO Standing Committee -
Research Ethics Committee -
Irish Yearbook of International Law 01/09/2020 -

Education

Start date Institution Qualification Subject
Trinity College Dublin PhD
Trinity College Dublin LLB
New York University School of Law LLM

Reviews

Journal Role
Feminist Legal Studies Reviewer
Nordic Journal of International Law Reviewer

Outreach Activities

Year Engagement Type Organisation Description
Advisory Work Department of Children and Youth Affairs Selection Panel for the establishment of a Collaborative Forum of victim-survivors related to Irish Historical Abuse
Advisory Work Department of Children and Youth Affairs Expert Advisor on Transitional Justice to Minister and Department of Children and Youth Affairs on Mother and Baby Homes

Media

Title Year Type Authors
Government is only causing more hurt and anger among women with efforts to silence those who suffered brutal birthing procedure 2016 Newspaper article (Print) Gallen J

Research Interests

I welcome research students on any topic related to international human rights, transitional justice and international criminal law, especially related to non-recent (institutional) abuses globally, including in the context of imperialism and settler colonialism and the relationships between trauma and the law.

Research Projects

Title Role Description Start date End date
What role can and do nonstate justice systems play in aiding or impeding states in fulfilling their obligations regarding women’s access to justice under international human rights law? (Lia O'Broin) DCU PI 01/09/2023 31/08/2025
Career Enhancement DCU PI 01/01/2015 31/12/2016
Reparations, Responsibility and Victimhood in Transitional Societies DCU PI 01/10/2017 30/09/2020
Transforming Justice: An All-Island Examination of Justice Responses to Historical Institutional Abuse North and South Co-Investigator 01/07/2022 01/07/2024