Child Law in Ireland, Second Edition

Description

Author: Dr Lydia Bracken | ISBN:  9781917134187 | Format: Paperback | Price:  €49 | Publishing:  September 2025

“I warmly recommend the text as a high calibre contribution to the field of child law.”

[Review of 1st edition by Dr Fergus Ryan, Irish Judicial Studies Journal]

About

Child Law in Ireland, Second Edition, provides an accessible and up-to-date analysis of Ireland’s child law system.

This book incorporates an examination of Ireland’s international obligations arising under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), as well as examination of the Irish Constitution and the domestic legislative framework.

Child Law in Ireland, Second Edition, addresses a wide range of child law topics including children’s rights; parentage; donor-assisted human reproduction and surrogacy; guardianship, custody and access; child protection; representation and participation; and education. This new edition also includes discussion of timely legal developments including:

• Consideration of policies such as Young Ireland: National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028 and the National Framework for the Participation of Children and Young People in Decision-Making;
• Discussion of recent legislation including the provisions of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 that regulates the allocation of legal parentage and guardianship in assisted human reproduction and surrogacy; the provisions of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 that allow adopted persons to apply for birth and early life information, establish a new contact preference register and tracing service and that relate to persons affected by incorrect birth registrations; proposed amendments to the Child Care Act 1991 resulting from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth’s review of the legislation; changes to the Guardian ad Litem system introduced by the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2022; changes to the family court structure introduced by the Family Courts Act 2024; amendments to the law on case reporting introduced by the Children (Amendment) Act 2021; changes to the school admissions process introduced by the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018; and amendments in the area of special needs education introduced by the Education (Provision in Respect of Children with Special Educational Needs) Act 2022;
• Consideration of recent case law in all areas under scrutiny, which includes discussion of O’Meara & Ors v The Minister for Social Protection, Ireland and the Attorney General [2024] IESC 1; Child & Family Agency & B v Adoption Authority of Ireland & Ors [2023] IESC 12; DK v PIK [2022] IECA 54; In the Matter of JJ [2021] IESC 1; Director of Public Prosecutions v C [2020] IECA 292.

Content Includes

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: International and National Protection of Children’s Rights

Chapter 3: Parentage

Chapter 4: Parental Responsibilities: Guardianship, Custody and Access

Chapter 5: Adoption

Chapter 6: Protecting Children from Harm

Chapter 7: Representation and Participation

Chapter 8: Education

Chapter 9: Considerations for the Future

 

About the Author

Dr Lydia Bracken is an Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Law at the University of Limerick. She researches in the areas of child and family law, with a particular focus on the legal recognition of “non-traditional” families. Dr Bracken has published her research in national and international journals including the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, International Journal of Children’s Rights, European Journal of Health Law, International Family Law and the Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly. Dr Bracken lectures in child law and clinical legal skills at undergraduate level and lectures in Advanced Family Law at postgraduate level.

Who Should Buy This Book?

Child Law in Ireland, Second Edition is an indispensable text for those who work with, or on behalf of, children and young people and for those studying the operation of Ireland’s child law system, including practising lawyers and students of child and family law.