Solicitors tell TDs to put children’s rights front and centre

Children’s rights must be front and centre in legislation, solicitors appearing on behalf of Law Society of Ireland told TDs yesterday.

Keith Walsh, chair of the family and child law committee, and Carol Ann Coolican, former chair, appeared before the children and youth affairs committee to present the Society’s submissions on the general scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill.

After the meeting, Mr Walsh told ILN: “The main point the Law Society emphasised to the committee was that children’s rights must be front and centre in all legislation relating to private or public child law.

“The published scheme is deficient in this regard, but this can be remedied by the inclusion of an explicit obligation on courts to appoint a guardian ad litem in childcare cases.

“It is essential that the legislation include provision for a permanent, independent statutory body to manage the guardian ad litem service.

“A checklist of factors to be taken into account by the court in weighing up what is in the best interests of the child would be very helpful. Such a checklist is contained in section 31 of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 as inserted by the Child and Family Relationships Act 2015.”

The full text of the submission is available on the Law Society website.