THE LAW DRAFTED to allow media and others report the names of child murder victims has been signed by President Michael D Higgins.
The Children (Amendment) Bill 2020 was signed by the President after passing through the Dáil and the Seanad.
The issue had arisen as a result of a recent Court of Appeal decision about the reporting of certain murder cases. That ruling considerably changed certain long-standing practices related to how the media reports on child murders.
The Court of Appeal ruled last October that children who are killed in criminal circumstances cannot be named publicly after their death.
I’m delighted that @PresidentIRL has signed the Children (Amendment) Bill 2021 and that it’s now law.
— Jim O'Callaghan (@OCallaghanJim) April 26, 2021
Once it’s commenced by Minister @HMcEntee children who have been unlawfully killed can be named in proceedings relating to their deaths. https://t.co/StBvvvJL1h
Parents of child murder victims, media organisations and various politicians had all campaigned for the law in the area to be changed to remove the reporting restriction.
The new legislation removes the restrictions on reporting the identities of deceased children with respect to past and future cases while retaining the protection for living children.
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