Last week two landmark legal actions took place: one was a family law case and the other –a case within a case- concerned the media’s right to report on it. A significant High Court ruling has subsequently allowed the media to report on only the legal issues and limited evidence, showing a relaxation on the in-camera rule normally in place for family law cases.
While reporting on the case is limited, the ruling is significant in that it shines a light on the otherwise secretive world of the family courts and its proceedings. In their report on the deaths of 200 children in state care, Geoffrey Shannon, a family law solicitor, and Norah Gibbons, a childcare expert, concluded that “By allowing a veil of secrecy to cover the work of the court in these types of issues, public confidence in the system is damaged and it prevents the recognition of good work and, in equal measure, the recognition of areas in need of reform.”
What has the above have to do with the library you may ask?
For our law students, we remind you that the library holds multiple titles on family law and divorce law in Ireland
The library offers hard copies of both the Irish Times and the Irish Independent daily along with a range of other national and international titles. The library also provides access to the Irish Times epaper from within DIT. We also offer online access to Irish, UK
For more information on how to borrow or access any of these resources please ask a member of library staff.