Top Australian judge is charged with the unthinkable after students make shocking discovery during lecture screen-share
A former Justice accused of inadvertently sharing child abuse content with law students has been sacked from one of Australia’s top universities.
Former Fair Work Commission senior deputy president Justice Alan Boulton, 74, has been charged over material that was allegedly displayed during a lecture at Monash University’s Melbourne CBD campus on February 5.
The university referred the matter to Victoria Police, which seized multiple electronic devices during a raid on Boulton’s inner-city Middle Park home a week later.
He has since been charged with one count of possessing child abuse material as a Commonwealth offence and two counts of possessing child abuse material following a ‘lengthy’ investigation by detectives.
Boulton will appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
He was a senior fellow of the Faculty of Law at Monash University, regarded as one of Australia’s most prestigious universities and ranked among the top 50 worldwide.
Boulton was immediately suspended and removed from all teaching duties following the alleged incident.
‘Monash University was made aware of concerns relating to an incident in February 2025, and referred the matter to Victoria Police,’ a spokesperson told Daily Mail.
Justice Alan Boulton, 74, is accused of inadvertently sharing child abuse content with law students during a university lecture
Monash University (pictured) referred the matter to Victoria Police after learning of the incident
Alan Boulton will appear in court on Thursday
‘We continue to support the ongoing investigation.
‘The safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and broader community remains our highest priority.’
Monash University continues to provide support services to affected students.
It has also deleted a webpage about Boulton on its website.
Boulton’s decorated career in law both in Australia and overseas spans more than 45 years.
The University of Sydney graduate first worked as a solicitor and then a lecturer at Canberra’s Australian National University.
In 1979, Boulton was appointed as the first legal officer for the Australian Council of Trade Unions by then-president Bob Hawke, who became Prime Minister several years later.
He also had a stint with the International Labour Organisation in the Philippines, Indonesia and Timor-Leste, where he help draft modern labour laws and addressed the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Boulton was a senior fellow of the faculty of law at Monash University, which is regarded as one of Australia’s most prestigious universities
At the Fair Work Commission, Boulton first served as deputy president 1989–93 and then as senior deputy president until 2015.
He also previously served as Industrial Relations Commission of Victoria president.
Boulton was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2002 for ‘distinguished service to industrial arbitration and labour relations.’
