Children, the Law and the Welfare Principle

Kerry O’Halloran, a professionally qualified lawyer, social worker, and academic, has recently retired from 13 years as Adjunct Professor to the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies at QUT, Brisbane. In Northern Ireland he served on the Social Care Tribunal and on a HSS Trust Adoption Panel, has advised the Irish government on law reform matters, and has served in a consultancy capacity to government bodies such as Courts Services (Northern Ireland) and to the Open University in England. His 34 books include many on national and international child care matters.

• Introduction Part I: The Civil Law Context 1. Civil Law and Common Law: Differentiating Characteristics 2. Civil Law: France and Germany Part II: France 3. Policy, principles, legislation and courts 4. The welfare principle in contemporary practice: public family law; civil and criminal jurisdictions 5. The welfare principle in contemporary practice: private family law and hybrid proceedings Part III: Germany 6. Policy, principles, legislation and courts 7. The welfare principle in contemporary practice: public family law; civil and criminal jurisdictions 8. The welfare principle in contemporary practice: private family law and hybrid proceedings Part IV: Themes of Commonality and Difference 9. Themes and a comparative jurisdictional analysis. Conclusion.