Law Commons^™

What Makes A Good Judge?, Brian M. Barry

Reports

This article overviews research demonstrating the factors beyond the law that can affect judicial decision-making.

Supreme Court Case Has Implications For Abortion Referendum, Brian M. Barry

Reports

This article details the possible consequences of an important Supreme Court case on the 8th Amendment of the Irish Constitution, centring on the interpretation of the right to life of the unborn.

Judging Justice - How Solicitors' Expertise Can Improve The Courts System, Brian M. Barry

Reports

This article details the initial findings of a nationwide interview study undertaken by the author of litigation solicitors in Ireland on their views of the Irish courts system and the Irish judiciary.

The Role And Approach Of The European Court Of Human Rights In The Protection Of Core Human Rights And In Deferring To The Judgment Of States Under The European Convention On Human Rights., Adrian Berski

Reports

In order to understand the complexity and peculiarity of human rights, it is important to provide a proper definition of human rights, based on the Irish concept.

Human Rights is defined […] as: the rights, liberties and freedoms conferred on, or guaranteed to persons: (a) by the Constitution, and (b) by any agreement, treaty or convention to which the State is a party […] the definition of human rights is restricted as regards any agreement, treaty or convention to which the State is a party by including only those (or a provision thereof) which has been given the force of …

Shaping The Agenda 1: Exploring The Competencies, Skills And Behaviours Of Effective Workplace Mediators, Brian M. Barry, Margaret Bouchier, Alec Coakley, Deirdre Curran, James Dillon, Cyril Joyce, Treasa Kenny, Oksana Kokaylo, Louisa Meehan, Genevieve Murray

Reports

This report outlines what is currently known about workplace mediation: its benefits, styles and strategies, its expected outcomes and training challenges. It also identifies an urgent requirement for Irish research in light of the increased promotion of mediation at state level in Ireland. It outlines some international experiences of the difficulties faced in balancing high quality accreditation and regulation with innovation and growth.

Shaping The Agenda 2: Implications For Workplace Mediation Training, Standards And Practice In Ireland, Brian M. Barry, Margaret Bouchier, Alec Coakley, Deirdre Curran Dr, James Dillon, Cyril Joyce, Treasa Kenny, Oksana Meehan, Louisa Meehan, Genevieve Murray

Reports

The Report and its sister report, Shaping the Agenda 1, give a fascinating insight into the world of workplace mediation in Ireland and abroad. It identifies key issues in relation to mediator skills, competencies and behaviours in this sector of mediation. Of enormous significance is the application of this research to the Irish context and specifically to the setting and maintenance of standards of training and practice in relation to workplace mediation. This work has put the MII, as the professional association for mediators in Ireland, in a position to build standards and policies on solid, detailed and considered research, …

Which Doctrine Has Had The Bigger Impact On Eu Law, Direct Effect Or Supremacy?, Adrian Berski

Reports

The doctrines of the supremacy of the European Union (EU) and of the direct effect of EU law are both based on the competence of the EU . The EU can act only within the limits of its competence, and has them only as much as entrusted its Member States. Before this state of affairs, the competences of the EU were regulated by Articles 5 and 7 of the Treaty Establishing the European Community (Consolidated Version, 2002)[1]:

The Community shall act within the limits of the powers conferred upon it by this Treaty and of the objectives assigned …

The Jurisdiction Of The Irish Courts In The Protection Of The Constitutional Rights Of A Person Accused Of A Crime., Adrian Berski

Reports

Studying the Irish Constitutional Law, requires the understanding of how the Irish Political System was evolved. Montesquieu's tripartite system, adopted by the Republic of Ireland is the judiciary[1] has a particular place in the Irish Constitution in articles 34 - 37[2].

The main purpose of this essay is to analyse the balance between the jurisdiction of the Irish Courts in the protection of the constitutional rights of a person accused of a crime and the functioning of the criminal justice system in protecting Society`s general interest. The first section presents a brief summary of the courts functions …

Internal Disciplinary Procedures – Internet And Social Media. Dilemmas Of Bilateral Relations, Adrian Berski

Reports

Nowadays, Social Media and the Internet are useful and powerful tools within society. It provides great convenience to conduct activities within the job market such as: free web advertising, talent hunting or collecting precious marketing data. However, in some cases, Social Media and the Internet can be a “bone of contention” between the employer and employee relationship.

The main purpose of this essay is to demonstrate bilateral relations between internal disciplinary procedures between Companies and the Internet – Social Media, in light of the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977-2007. It will be presented in relation to the following determinants[1]: …

Rent Certainty Is Not Rent Control, Tom Dunne

Reports

The housing crisis and the debate about rent control should result in a beneficial change to the regulation of the sector but the opportunity could be lost for want of clarity of thinking about the nature of rent certainty and the distinction between it and rent control. At present rent is regulated by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (RTA 2004) which provides that rent can only change once a year and cannot be more than the market rent. Many argue a greater degree of rent certainty is required and that rent should not be allowed to increase by more than …

Do Irish Courts And The European Court Of Human Rights Have Achieved The Correct Balance Between Protection Of The Rights Of Individual Prisoners And Pragmatic Concerns Regarding The Proper Functioning Of The Prison System., Adrian Berski

Reports

Nowadays it is very hard to find the relevant balance between decisions of the Irish Courts and European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), regarding the rights of individual prisoners and the proper functioning of the prison system. On one side, the main function of the courts is resolution dispute, apply the relative law and most importantly: protecting the law and human rights. On the other hand, court decisions have to be based on the relevant prison and justice systems that applies to each particular country.

It is worth taking into consideration that decisions made by the European Court of Human …

Does The Provision For Irish Prisoners To Keep In Contact With The Outside Environment Require Reform?, Adrian Berski

Reports

The law of the Republic of Ireland provides that prisoners’ maintain rights in order to conduct connections with the outside world. It is important to mention that currently they are 3,747 people in Irish prisons[1]. This population have rights before the law and they shouldn’t be unreasonable deprived of rights or liberties.

By maintaining a connection with the outside world means that normal elements of the reintegration process can be maintained. This has a significant impact for further prisoner reintegration. It includes rights to visits, correspondence, voting, etc.

The main sources of law, which regulates prisoners’ rights in …

Determinants Of The Irish Bail System Before And After 1997., Adrian Berski

Reports

Bail can be defined as:

The setting at liberty of an accused person upon others becoming sureties for the accused at his trail. The decision to admit a person to bail is judicial matter and, consequently, the court cannot delegate the exercise of this judicial power to an administrative official^[1].

According to the above definition it should be emphasized that an accused person has to ensure the State that he/she will return to the court proceedings or Garda Síochána Station at the particular time. It is imperative that bail is established on the fact that a criminal is …

Civil Partnership: Your Questions Answered - A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Civil Partnership Bill, Fergus Ryan

Reports

The Civil Partnership Bill 2009 arguably represents the most momentous change in Irish Family Law in a generation. The Bill proposes a substantial new legal status for registered same-sex partners, as well as important changes to the law as it relates to cohabitants. This report addresses the provisions of the Bill as initiated, analysing the potential impact of the Bill in clear and accessible language. The Report also highlights potential difficulties with the Bill, and suggests possible enhancements to the Bill as initiated.

Young People On Remand, Mairéad Seymour, Michelle Butler

Reports

The aim of this study is to examine the services and supports required by young people to promote greater compliance with the conditions of bail and reduce the use of detention on remand. The research addresses three main areas: • to establish the service and support needs of young people by investigating the circumstances of their life circumstances; • to examine the specific services and supports required by young people and their families during the remand process, in the courtroom and in the period between adjournments; • to address the issues and barriers to delivering services and supports to young …

All Party Oireachtas Committee On The Constitution Ninth Progress Report, Tom Dunne

Reports

Ireland, like many other countries with high rates of economic growth, is urbanising rapidly. There has been considerable emphasis on planning for this through the National Development Plan, the National Spatial Strategy, development guidelines and other measures. Through these the state intends that a proper planning process will lead growth rather than leaving it to market forces to drive development in what are regarded as undesirable directions. The latter it is feared will lead to unsuitable social, economic or physical outcomes. Unintended results have flowed from the implementation, or flawed implementation of many of these policies and have given rise …