Law and Gender in Modern Ireland: Critique and Reform

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Law and Gender in Modern Ireland: Critique and Reform is the first generalist text to tackle the intersection of law and gender in this jurisdiction for over two decades. As such, it could hardly have come at a more opportune moment. The topic of law and gender, perhaps more so than at any other time in Irish history, has assumed a dominant place in political and academic debate. Among scholars and policy-makers alike, the regulation of gendered bodies, and the legal status of sexual and gendered identities, is now a highly visible fault line in public discourse. Debates over reproductive justice (exemplified by the recent referendum to remove the 8th Amendment), increased rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons (including the public-sanctioned introduction of same-sex marriage) and the historic mistreatment of women and young girls have re-shaped Irish public and political life, and encouraged Irish society to re-examine long-unchallenged gender norms. While many traditional flashpoints remain such as abortion and prostitution/sex work, there are also new questions, including surrogacy and the gendered experience of asylum frameworks, which have emerged. As policy-makers seek to enact reforms, they face a population with increasingly polarised perceptions of gender and a legal structure ill-equipped for modern realities. This edited volume directly addresses modern Irish debates on law and gender. Providing an overview of the existing rules and standards, as well as exploring possible options for reform, the collection stands as an important statement on the law in this jurisdiction, and as an invaluable resource for pursuing gendered social change. While the edited collection applies a doctrinal methodology to explain current statutes, case law and administrative practices, the contributors also invoke critical gender, queer and race perspectives to identify and problematise existing (and potential) challenges. This edited collection is essential reading for all who are interested in law, gender and processes of social change in modern Ireland.

Reviews

Lynsey Black and Peter Dunne have produced an excellent text that captures a critical juncture in gender law in Ireland... This edited collection is a valuable snapshot of Ireland on its path towards gender justice. The book exhibits the strength of scholarship on questions of gender in Ireland across a range of areas. -- Aoife ODonoghue, Durham University * Irish Jurist *
[A] compelling, wide-ranging exploration of progress achieved and reforms still needed in Irish laws impact on women and gender equality... This is an impressive collection which provides crucial and challenging detail regarding the real life of the law and the gaps that remain between it and gender equality in Ireland. -- Maeve ORourke, Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway * Feminist Legal Studies *
[A] fascinating collection of essays painting a vivid collective picture of recent legal developments in Ireland around law and gender. -- Joanne Conaghan, University of Bristol * Feminist Legal Studies *

Author Bio

Lynsey Black is Lecturer in Criminology at Maynooth University. Peter Dunne is Lecturer in Law at the University of Bristol.