Mr G Case 'highlights need for constitutional reform'

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has given a qualified welcome to today’s High Court judgment in the 'Mr G' case, which recognised that an unmarried father has inherent rights in relation to his children.

Speaking shortly after Mr Justice Liam McKechnie gave his judgment, ICCL Director Mr Mark Kelly said: “This is a landmark case, in that effective advocacy based on European Convention on Human Rights standards has led the Court to focus on the substance of Mr G’s caring relationship with his children, rather than limit itself to the archaic conception of the family to be found in the Constitution”.