Experts claim proposed changes to law ‘lack teeth’

A GOVERNMENT proposal to give the rights of children specific recognition under the Constitution does not go far enough, according to a group of experts on constitutional and family law.

A bill, published in February 2007, forms part of a government commitment to hold a referendum in order to bolster the constitutional rights of children.

According to Dr Ursula Kilkelly of University College Cork’s Law Department, however, the proposal has “no teeth”. She, along with colleagues Dr Conor O’Mahony and Dr Catherine O’Sullivan, have made a submission to a joint Oireachtas committee on law reform expressing concern that the proposed amendment would do little to address the issue of children’s rights.