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Chief appointed to reform GAL voice-of-child model

Anthony Douglas has been appointed to work on preparations for the planned guardian ad litem (GAL) national service.

Douglas is the former chief executive of Cafcass, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, which represents children in family-court cases in England.

The appointment, by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, is part of a move to strengthen the voice of the child in court proceedings.

Reform of the current model will provide for universal access to a GAL for all children involved in child-care court proceedings.

Reform

The Child Care (Amendment) Act 2022, provides for reform and creates a presumption in favour of appointment of a GAL in child-care proceedings before the District Court, and mandatory appointment in special-care cases before the High Court.

Minister Roderic O’Gorman said: “Ireland has led the way in ensuring the voice of children is brought to decisions relevant to their lives across many spheres of public and private life.

“Children finding themselves in the child-care court system will be guaranteed their voice is heard, and that is only right and proper.”