James Lawless

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-suffix = TD

| image = James Lawless, Dec 2024 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Lawless in 2024

| office = Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

| term_start = 23 January 2025

| term_end =

| taoiseach = Micheál Martin

| predecessor = Patrick O'Donovan

| successor =

| office1 = Minister of State

| suboffice1 = Transport

| subterm1 = 2024–2025

| suboffice2 = Environment, Climate and Communications

| subterm2 = 2024–2025

| office3 = Chair of the Committee on Justice

| term_start3 = 15 September 2020

| term_end3 = 8 November 2024

| predecessor3 = Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

| successor3 =

| office4 = Teachta Dála

| term_start4 = February 2016

| term_end4 =

| constituency4 = Kildare North

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|08|19|df=y}}{{fact|date=January 2025}}

| birth_place = Wexford, Ireland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Fianna Fáil

| spouse = {{marriage|Ailish Lawless|2002}}

| children = 2

| alma_mater = {{Ubl|Trinity College Dublin|King's Inns}}

| website = {{url|jameslawless.ie}}

|}}

James Lawless (born 19 August 1976{{fact|date=January 2025}}) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science since January 2025. He served as a Minister of State from 2024 to 2025. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Kildare North since the 2016 general election.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/James-Lawless.D.2016-10-03/|title=James Lawless|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=23 April 2018|archive-date=8 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108185914/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/James-Lawless.D.2016-10-03|url-status=live}}

Early life

Lawless is originally from Wexford.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20389133.html |title=Lawless runs in to Dáil after years of commuting |last1=Loughlin |first1=Elaine| work=Irish Examiner |date=24 March 2016| access-date=16 May 2025}} He earned a degree in mathematics from Trinity College Dublin in 2000.{{cite book |last=Sherlock |first=D.J.M. |date=2006 |title=Trinity College Record Volume 2006 |location=Dublin |publisher=Trinity College Dublin Press |isbn=1-871408-07-5|page=}} This was followed by a masters in high performance computing from, also from Trinity College Dublin. He worked as a systems analyst in his early career and subsequently qualified as a barrister at the Kings Inns.

Political career

He had contested the 2009 local elections unsuccessfully, but topped the poll in the 2014 local elections with 2,123 votes, becoming a member of Kildare County Council from 2014 to 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=9783|title=James Lawless|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=30 April 2019|archive-date=8 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808145818/https://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=9783|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/election-2016/candidates/754598-james-lawless/|title=Election 2016: James Lawless|publisher=RTÉ|date=28 February 2016|access-date=28 February 2016|archive-date=1 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160301005701/http://www.rte.ie/news/election-2016/candidates/754598-james-lawless/|url-status=live}} While a member of Kildare County Council, he served as Mayor of Naas.

He was elected to the Dáil in the 2016 Irish general election for Kildare North. In May 2016, he was appointed by the party leader Micheál Martin as Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Science, Technology, Research and Development. He was a member of the Energy and Communications Oireachtas Committee, and in February 2017, he was elected as Vice-Chair of that Committee. In February 2018, he was appointed a member of the Business, Enterprise and Innovation Oireachtas committee. He proposed a bills to regulate online political advertising and the use of drones.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30817491.html |title=New bill will help make political advertising on social media more transparent - Fianna Fail |publisher=Irish Examiner |date=6 December 2017|access-date=17 May 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.leinsterleader.ie/news/news/357235/td-james-lawless-want-all-drones-to-be-registered.html |last1=O'Meara |first1=Paul |title=TD James Lawless wants all drones to be registered |publisher=Paul O'Meara|date=10 January 2019|access-date=17 May 2025}}

He was re-elected to the Dáil in 2020 and was subsequently appointed Chair of the Committee on Justice in September 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.fiannafail.ie/tds/james-lawless |title=James Lawless TD|publisher=Fianna Fáil |access-date=17 May 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/top-stories2/ffs-lawless-to-chair-justice-committee |title=FF’s Lawless to chair justice committee |publisher=Law Gazette |date=4 September 2020| access-date=17 May 2025}}

In 27 June 2024, he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Transport with responsibility for International and Road Transport and Logistics; and also as Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with responsibility for Postal Policy.{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0627/1457023-dara-calleary/|title=Dara Calleary named as junior minister attending Cabinet|date=27 June 2024|website=RTÉ News|first=Sandra|last=Hurley}}

Following the 2024 general election 23 January 2025, Lawless was appointed as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in the government led by Micheál Martin.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2025/0123/1492578-new-cabinet-in-full/|title=Cabinet list in full with number of promotions, changes|publisher=RTÉ News|first=Fiachra|last=Ó Cionnaith|date=23 January 2025|access-date=23 January 2025}}

=Political views=

==Drug policy==

In a 2025 interview, Lawless stated that he supports a health-led approach to drug policy, advocating for the decriminalisation of cannabis as a first step. He argues that prohibition leads to uncertainty about drug potency and composition, making consumption more dangerous. He believes cannabis should be regulated like alcohol and tobacco, with clear labelling and potency warnings, and sees merit in the Portuguese model. While he acknowledges that full legalisation is likely in the future, he stresses the need for a coordinated European approach to avoid Ireland becoming a destination for drug tourism.{{cite magazine |last=O'Toole |first=Jason |date=3 April 2025 |title=Minister James Lawless: "How do we have two different rules for alcohol and marijuana?" |url=https://www.hotpress.com/opinion/minister-james-lawless-how-do-we-have-two-different-rules-for-alcohol-and-marijuana-23079395 |magazine=Hot Press |location= |publisher= |access-date=3 April 2025}}

On harder drugs, Lawless distinguishes between naturally occurring substances (such as peyote and psilocybin mushrooms) which have historical cultural use, and synthetic drugs like crystal meth and ecstasy. He is open to discussing decriminalisation for the former but strongly opposes legalising synthetic drugs, viewing them as highly potent and toxic.