David Mark Smolin is a professor of law at Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama where he is the Harwell G. Davis Chair in Constitutional Law, director for The Center for Children, Law, and Ethics, former director of the Center for Biotechnology, Law, and Ethics, and faculty advisor for the Law, Science and Technology Society.

David has granted permission for NBSCCCI to share two papers he presented on to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of  Minors. 

In David's own words to us when we began discussing transitional justice the first of his papers is more tentative in proposing Transitional Justice as a framework for supporting survivors of abuse within the Church, while the second is more extensive. 

How and why The Church should adopt a Transitional Justice Framework to abuse in Catholic contexts

Presentation to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors: David Smolin, Professor of Law and Director, Center for Children, Law, and Ethics, Cumberland School of Law, Samford University

On Thursday 28th of May 2025 Prof Anne-Marie McAlinden from Queen’s University Belfast, Prof Marie Keenan from UCD, and Dr James Gallen from DCU released their book and final policy report on Transforming Justice Responses to Non-Recent institutional Abuses. The project was part of a three-year project funded by The Higher Education Academy North-South Research Grant, with support from the British Academy and an Arts and Humanities Research Council Fellowship. The project examined justice responses to non-recent institutional abuses by church and state in both jurisdictions in a comparative, international and interdisciplinary context and explored how they can be enhanced

Transforming Justice Responses to Non-Recent institutional Abuses

For the summary of the final policy report please go to the link below. This summary document gives an overview of the project aims and methods along with a number of recommendations towards new justice approaches https://transformingjusticeproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ReframingJusticeResponses_Final_Report_DIGITAL.pdf

Other outputs from the project can be viewed on Project Outputs – Transforming Justice Project these include articles and pod casts that explore the topic of justice in this context.

To download and read the full book which takes a thorough look at the topic through interviews with 74 key stakeholders, including survivors, legal professionals, and institutional (Church and State) representatives go to this link;  Transforming Justice Responses to Non-Recent Institutional Abuses | Oxford Academic 

The NBSCCCI’s child safeguarding conference for 2025 is now fully booked. This event will take place in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone, Co. Westmeath across the 3rd, 4th and 5th of September. The event will commence at 2pm on Wednesday the 3rd  with an opening address moving into an afternoon of presentations before Mass in St. Peter & Pauls Church, Forthill House, the Batteries, Athlone (a four minute walk from the hotel) The first day will close with dinner at 7pm.

A full day’s conference will take place the following day, Thursday 4^th of September with an informal dinner in the evening.

The conference will conclude following lunch on Friday 5^th of September

Attendance at this Conference is open to Constituent Members of the NBSCCCI and their representatives together with invited guests.