Legal Cases That Changed Ireland

Legal Cases that Changed Ireland examines key legal cases which have brought about significant social change in Ireland. The book is based on the 2015 project, entitled 'Changing Ireland, Changing Law,' which involved a series of seminars under four themes exploring the relationship between legal action and social change. The four themes included: Women Changing Law, Changing Society; Sexual Identity, Law and Social Change; Immigration, Asylum and Legal Change; and Public Interest Litigation: Does it Work? Under each theme, a perspective is also provided by key non-governmental organizations that supported or initiated strategic legal cases, namely the Public Interest Law Alliance, the National Women's Council of Ireland, the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, and the Immigrant Council of Ireland. While the changing nature of society is evident every day in our courtrooms, it is only in exceptional cases that we hear the stories behind moments of legal change. This book documents not only the stories of the legal cases themselves, but also the experiences of individuals who have taken cases of social importance. Recognizing that it is not only cases heard in the superior courts resulting in judgments pored over by constitutional lawyers that can shape people's lives in profound ways, this book also supports the sharing of experiences of cases in other legal venues, such as the Equality Tribunal. These stories assist us to understand more about the nature of legal processes. [Subject: Irish Law, Legal History]