Bill ignores incest report proposals
Catherine Ghent said elements of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill would suppress children’s voices in court cases through its proposals on the appointment of Guardian Ad Litems, who represent children in court.
She said: “The bill proposes an unprecedented assault on the principle of equality of arms, to give untrained and sometimes disinterested District Court judges the power to rule on whether or not a guardian ad litem should have legal representation and to direct what their legal representatives can or cannot do. It further provides a statutory basis for a guardian ad litem to be held liable for costs incurred by the HSE in child care proceedings.
