Mr Keane joined the Law School in January 2022 as a Lecturer in Evidence and Criminal Procedure. He holds degrees from the Universities of Edinburgh (LLM with Distinction) and Dundee (Diploma in Professional Legal Practice & LLB with First Class Honours). He previously taught at the University of Edinburgh.

Mr Keane is a qualified and practising solicitor, with particular expertise in the law of criminal evidence. He has acted in an array of cases defending allegations of serious criminality, including murder and terrorism. In recent years, he has developed a particular specialism in the area of advice and representation for complainers in sexual offence cases, and is regularly instructed to act on behalf of such individuals in Scotland. He has on occasion also acted as an expert witness in foreign proceedings on Scots criminal law, procedure and evidence. He is currently involved in the establishment of the Emma Ritch Law Clinic at the University, a service which aims to provide legal advice and representation to complainers in sexual offence cases.

Prior to entering academia, he spent two years at the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, a non-departmental public body that investigates potential miscarriages of justice.

In 2020 he was elected as a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy of Scotland.

He is one of a number of researchers in the School of Law working on criminal law, evidence and criminal justice, and more information about their work can be found here.

Mr Keane's research interests lie primarily in evidence and procedure, namely the theoretical development and practical application of the Scots law of criminal evidence. His work has both a doctrinal and empirical focus. He co-authored the 3rd edition of Raitt on Evidence: Principles, Policy & Practice. 

His current research projects and interests include:

• The position of the vulnerable accused in Scots law;
• The development of Independent legal representation for complainers in sexual offences cases.

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Mr Keane has held research funding from the Scottish Government, the Clark Foundation for Legal Education and Rape Crisis Scotland.

Current funded projects he is working on include:

The Practice Surrounding Defence Applications for Disclosure of Sensitive Records in Scotland, Rape Crisis Scotland, £7,500.

An Analysis of the Scottish Rape Shield Legislation, Justice Analytical Services. £12,000.

Along with colleagues, Mr Keane was awarded approx £400,000 in 2023 to establish the Emma Ritch Law Clinic at the university, which aims to promote access to justice for complainers in sexual offences cases.

Mr Keane welcomes enquiries to supervise research students with interests in the 1) law of evidence and procedure, 2) criminal evidence, procedure and sexual offences and 3) appellate jurisdiction and miscarriages of justice.

• Brindley, Sandy
  Exploring effective participation for complainers of sexual crime in Scotland
• Reilly, Phoebe
  .An examination and evaluation of Scottish university responses to a complaint of student to-student gender-based violence (GBV)
• Zhou, Yu
  Abuse of Unequal Status and Power? A Model of Coercion in Authority Relations

LAW2052: Foundations of Evidence Law

LAW4135: Wrongful Conviction

LAW1003: Criminal Law and Evidence

Prizes, awards & distinctions

• 2012: Dean's Medal (School of Law, The University of Dundee)

Professional & learned societies

• 2020 - Ongoing: Member, The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Young Academy of Scotland
• 2017 - Ongoing: Member, The Law Society of Scotland, Criminal Law Committee

In 2023 Mr Keane was appointed to the University's Student Skills and Professional Development work stream, which is leading on the implementation of this pillar of the Learning and Teaching Strategy.