University of Limerick and Criminal Assets Bureau target proceeds of crime on new course

A new course launching at University of Limerick will provide training to law enforcement in the area of proceeds of crime investigation, asset identification, seizure, confiscation and recovery.

University of Limerick (UL) and the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) are to work together on the new Postgraduate Diploma in Proceeds of Crime and Asset Identification.

UL President Dr Des Fitzgerald and Chief Bureau Officer Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Clavin launched the programme in the University today, Wednesday.

The new course is expected to start in September and will be run out of UL’s School of Law under course director Professor Shane Kilcommins.

The objective of the postgraduate diploma is to provide a recognised standard of training for staff in CAB and other law enforcement, regulatory and administrative agencies in both Ireland and internationally who require academic and professional training in the field of specific investigations.

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Such training and education will help to establish standard operating procedures and identify established best practice in effective proceeds of crime investigations.

It builds on an already strong relationship between UL and An Garda Síochána, which UL President Dr Des Fitzgerald was “enabling a professional community of practice to engage with a professional community of scholarship.

“The programme will enhance UL’s position by continuing to build a critical mass in the areas of law enforcement and criminal justice,” he said.

“UL already accredits the Garda Siochana level 7 and level 9 training programmes; it provides an online level 8 top up programme in Applied Policing for members of An Garda Síochána, and an MA in Serious Crime Investigation for those serious crime investigators who have completed the postgraduate diploma in serious crime investigation. UL also has an undergraduate degree in criminal justice, and an LLM/MA in Criminal Justice and Human Rights.

“The new programme also fits with UL’s strategic objectives by engaging with a key stakeholder in the field,” he added.

The market for the programme will have an international reach given that CAB is a recognised leader in the field of asset forfeiture and it will have a very strong domestic reach given the hundreds of regulatory agencies that exist in Ireland.

Chief Bureau Officer Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Clavin said: “The Criminal Assets Bureau looks forward to building on our close working relationship with University of Limerick. The Bureau welcome this opportunity to upskill its Bureau Officers to meet the challenges posed, both nationally and internationally, in asset identification, asset confiscation and asset recovery.

“The course provides the opportunity to ensure that best international practices are adhered to and the transfer of knowledge to ensure effective continuity into the future,” he added.

As a part of its prescribed statutory function, CAB currently provides national and international assistance and education to other law enforcement, regulatory agencies and State bodies, including the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF) of the United States of America, the AFP (Australian Federal Police) and the National Agency of Ukraine for Finding, Tracing and Management of Assets derived from Corruption and Other Crime.

The development of training in the field, which is multi-agency in orientation, is now regarded as critical for the delivery of an effective and professional service, both nationally and internationally.

The new postgraduate diploma at UL will utilise a variety of leading specialists to deliver lectures including the Bureau Legal Officer, a Forensic Accountant, a Financial Crime Analyst and other internal Bureau experts.

Barristers and experts from within An Garda Síochána will give tuition, while academic experts will also be involved in the delivery of content relating to reflective practice, research methodologies and skills.

Professor Shane Kilcommins, Head of UL’s School of Law, said: “Since 1996, the Criminal Assets Bureau has been leading the way – both nationally and internationally – in new approaches to tackling criminal wrongdoing. Its originality lies in its capacity to employ civil mechanisms alongside more expressive criminal law instruments.

“This multi-agency approach to wrongdoing has proven to be very effective in permeating illegal organisations and operations, particularly the Bureau’s ability to permanently alter the social, financial and physical structures around the wrongdoer – the enterprise, its financial structures, its working capital, and the proceeds arising therefrom.

“It has been a privilege to work with Detective Chief Superintendent Pat Clavin and his staff in the Criminal Assets Bureau on the development of this postgraduate diploma. The association is a wonderful endorsement of the commercial and criminal law expertise in the School of law at the University of Limerick.

“I also believe that the programme will be of great benefit to all those who participate in it – CAB officers, officers from various regulatory agencies in Ireland, international enforcement agencies and officers from various EU countries who have a strong interest in asset forfeiture and proceeds of crime investigations.

“All will benefit from CAB’s proven expertise. It is fitting that the standard of the training provided by CAB is recognised at a postgraduate award level,” Professor Kilcommins added.