Mother and Baby Commission: Transparency is the best policy

As is often the case in matters as sensitive as those facing the Mother and Baby Homes Commission conflicts of interest arise. These can seem insurmountable but, more often than not, if there is a will to resolve the impasse a solution can be found.

The suggestion that the commission is legally obliged to share burial details with bereaved families seems one instance. Special rapporteur on child protection Geoffrey Shannon has referred to decisions by the European Court of Human Rights which found that “family members of a deceased have a right to information regarding the fate of their loved one — whether this means being informed of the burial time, autopsy results of the location of his or her last resting place”.