Name: Emer
Course: BBus (Hons) Business and Law
I was nominated by the Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone campus to participate in the Chief Justice Internship Programme. I was based in the Four Courts and assigned to Mr Justice Peter Charleton of the Supreme Court. As a primary interest of mine is criminal law, I was delighted when I was told which judge I was assigned to. Charleton J was a high-profile criminal barrister whom I came across during my undergraduate degree. He famously was the prosecuting counsel in the case against Catherine Nevin. He sat on the Supreme Court panel in the case of John Gilligan in the Special Criminal Court for the murder of Veronica Guerin. As well as working on Garda Tribunals.
Throughout my internship, I was taught a lot by Charleton J. Through spending time in his chambers, watching him draft judgments on Supreme Court cases relating to Patrick Quirke, “Mr Moonlight”. I was shown how to draft judgments, speeches and talks. I enjoyed learning these things, including being shown a very detailed book on crime scenes and how to process crime scenes, from evaluating the scene to creating casts of shoeprints left behind. It was great to have the chance to have exciting conversations about past and current criminal cases. I was shown how to read a judgment for all the details effectively. I was very grateful I could sit in on several Supreme Court Cases and see the process and vast amount of documents that need to be prepared by judges before they even sit to hear the case.
It was great to see the law in action in courts, with the back and forth between barristers and how quickly judges can put barristers back in their place.
This internship provided a great insight into the Irish Superior courts in action and showed me what happens with cases behind closed doors. It was a busy four weeks! I enjoyed sitting in on various High Court cases, primarily on wardship, which were very interesting, as well as on various Court of Appeal cases. On days when the four courts were very quiet, I visited the Criminal Courts of Justice, which is fast-paced in the District and Circuit Courts. We visited the drug treatment court, which showed me the various ways in which the courts try to keep drug addicts out of prison and give them a second chance at rehabilitation rather than detention.
I attended the prestigious Hardiman lecture series, lectures from practicing professionals and judges, and a three-day mediation workshop.
It was an action-packed four weeks, and it flew by! I am very grateful to have this opportunity to meet new people and make new friends!!
