Prior to joining the School of Law at Ulster University as a Lecturer on the Magee Campus, Charles taught at the Department of Law, Maynooth University (2014-2018) and the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University (2018-2019).  He completed his PhD at Maynooth University, having been awarded a departmental (2014-2016), followed by an Irish Research Council postgraduate scholarship (2016-2018). He also possesses an LL.B in Law (Griffith College), BA in Political Science and Economics (University College Cork), LL.M in Public Law (NUI Galway), and PG Cert in Teaching and Learning (Maynooth University). In 2018, he received a PG Teaching Award for the 2017/2018 academic year.

Charles’ research interests centre on law and the modern welfare state, and has lectured primarily in areas including European Union, Common and Constitutional law. He has published widely in journals such as the Journal of Social Security Law, BioLaw, the European Journal of Migration and Law, and the Irish Jurist. He is also a member of the Irish Association of Law Teachers, and Socio-Legal Studies Association.