Child Law Project

The Child Law Project, (known as the Child Care Law Reporting Project (CCLRP) until 2022; Irish: Tionscadal Tuairiscithe an Dlí um Chúram Leanaí)^[1] is an Irish statutory body established to produce research and journalism.^[2] The body sent court reporters to relevant proceedings, including prosecutions of minors,^[3] in Irish courts from 2012 to 2024, compiling regular reports.^[4][5]

History

The project was established in 2012, under the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2007,^[6] with seeding provided by the One Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.^[7] Family law proceedings in the Republic of Ireland take place in camera,^[8] the project follows such cases in the Family Courts.^[1][9] Board members include Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's Noeline Blackwell (chair), and former Chief Justice Frank Clarke,^[10] Carol Coulter, an Irish Times journalist and adjunct professor of law at University of Galway,^[11] founded the project and is its executive director.^[12]

Reports from the project have been cited in academic journals such as the Journal of Social Work Education (Taylor & Francis),^[13] Social Work & Social Sciences Review (Whiting & Birch),^[14] Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies (TU Dublin),^[15] Child Abuse Review (Wiley),^[16] Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law (Taylor & Francis),^[17] Child & Family Social Work (Wiley)^[18] and Family Court Review (Wiley).^[19] In November 2024, Special Rapporteur-for Children, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, said that a report from the project "shines a light" on the care system in need of reform.^[20]

The body failed to secure a tender in 2024.^[21][22][3] In October 2024, District Court President Paul Kelly expressed concern at the closure of the project, which had not sent reporters to proceedings since the middle of the year.^[3] Opposition politicians, Paul Murphy,^[23] Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik,^[24] and Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín called for funding to be reinstated from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.^[25]