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WIT PhD candidate wins prestigious prize for family law research
Posted: Tue, April 27, 2010 |
A doctoral candidate from the School of Humanities at Waterford Institute of Technology has won a prestigious national prize for her research on family law with a specific focus on judicial separation and divorce in the Circuit Court.
Rόisín O’Shea will receive a significant travel bursary from the Irish Independent having won the ‘Making an Impact’ competition organised by the newspaper in partnership with the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
The final involved presentations by six participants before a live audience at Dublin City University with columnist Kevin Myers as chairman for the sessions.
As part of her research on how legislation is applied when marriages break down irreconcilably, Ms O’Shea has observed more than 400 family law cases in Cork, Dublin and the southeast. It is ultimately intended to follow 1,000 cases through a system where hearings are ordinarily held in private session. In addition, to gain an international viewpoint, the researcher has interviewed 10 Canadian family law judges and observed family law hearings in Canada as well as attending case conferences and sessions where judges in that country analysed cases collectively.
A certified mediator, Ms O’Shea graduated in 2008 from the BA (Hons) in Legal Studies at Waterford Institute of Technology and is currently pursuing her PhD at the Institute. She has also received an Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) scholarship to support her postgraduate studies.
Responding to the success, she said: “I am extremely grateful to the HEA and Irish Independent for this opportunity to further my research. A vital part of my work is looking at how family law matters are dealt with in other countries. A 10-day visit to Canada last year has given rise to a Canadian-Irish judicial conference to be held in Ireland in October with a specific focus on progressive reforms introduced in Canada that could benefit Ireland.
“It is really important to meet other judges and family law practitioners and to observe their systems – reading books or articles cannot offer the same insight. The HEA/Irish Independent travel award will now fund a visit to New Zealand where I will meet the Hon Peter Boshier who is Principal Family Court Judge in Wellington.
“The Irish family law system is crying out for reform and many commentators and researchers such as Geoffrey Shannon, Rosemary Horgan, Dr Carol Coulter and Deputy Alan Shatter have highlighted the need for empirical research in this area. I will continue to work hard to gather that information and hope to develop recommendations for realistic and necessary reforms. We cannot continue to drag families kicking and screaming through our courts with no regard for the best interests of children. We must find a better way.”
Congratulating Ms O’Shea on her latest success, Prof Kieran R Byrne, President, Waterford Institute of Technology, said: “The research that Rόisín is engaged in is tremendously important in terms of shining a light on how the Irish legal system caters for those who experience the human tragedy of marriage breakdown. Importantly, she has been permitted by the Minister for Justice to attend and – within careful parameters – report academically on family law proceedings. Usefully, she is also bringing an international perspective to the research by comparing this jurisdiction with Canada and, shortly, New Zealand.
“Her success in the Irish Independent/HEA competition for research that makes an impact is testament to what has been achieved to date and the future potential of her work. It also reflects well on the calibre of work that is ongoing by researchers in a growing range of disciplines throughout this Institute.”
