Our people

Cathal ÓCurraín

Legal Director, Public, Regulatory & Sport
Ireland

Expertise

Cathal is a Legal Director in Disputes and a member of Regulatory Group in Ireland. Cathal is also a member of Addleshaw Goddard's global Sports Sector Group. He has made significant contributions in providing legal advice to regulatory bodies on complex matters, including the scope of European Union law as it applies to An Garda Siochana, the statutory powers of Tribunals of Inquiry and the interpretation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Cathal has extensive expertise in advising Commissions of Investigation and Tribunals of Inquiry on all aspects of their work. As a Barrister, Cathal has more than 12 years' of advocacy experience in the representation of clients at all jurisdiction levels in the State, including before the Supreme Court. Cathal has also acted for clients in sensitive and publicised matters before the Workplace Relations Commission, the Labour Court and the Coroner's Court. He is adept at successfully navigating clients through complex and challenging litigation in the fields of public and regulatory law, inquiries, employment law and judicial review.

EXPERIENCE

The Medical Council, acting for the CEO in the prosecution of Fitness to Practice Inquiries and in Registration appeals.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, as a legal assessor to the Board in its consideration of applications for suspension.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority, in its co-operation with a significant non-statutory inquiry.
A Commission of Investigation on statutory interpretation challenges, fair procedure boundaries, and expert evidence.
A Commission of Investigation on the question of whether the Garda Siochana telephone recording systems were authorised by law which considered its legality under Statute, European Law, Common Law and the ECHR.
A Tribunal of Inquiry on intricate matters related to the conclusion of the Tribunal, encompassing GDPR, Tribunal of Inquiry Acts and Freedom of Information Acts.
Employees and Employers in employment injunctions.
An international airport company in commercial proceedings before the Irish High Court
Acted for the Plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court decision on workplace bullying under Irish law: Ruffley v Board of Management of St Annes School