Barrister Profile

Main Areas of Practice

Administrative Law or Judicial Review
Criminal Law
Family Law
Human Rights

Biography

Gráinne’s practice focuses mainly within the Family Division and at County Court level. Over the years she has developed a high degree of specialisation within children and adoption law through representing parents, competent children and Guardian ad Litems.

Gráinne has appeared in diverse cases ranging from child protection cases with issues involving adults with learning disabilities, mental health and mental illness, addiction, non-accidental injury, neglect, sexual and physical abuse as well as highly contentious private law applications for contact or residence or local/international relocation applications. She has expertise in the practice and procedure of current social work policies and continues to expand her knowledge of legal and policy development in domestic abuse and coercive control.

Gráinne maintains a practice in High Court ancillary relief applications post divorce and is also a trained mediator.

Qualifications

LL.B (Hons) Trinity College Dublin 1991

Certificate in Professional Legal Studies (Bar) – Queens University Belfast 1992

QUEST – mediation training 2012

Positions held:

Former Chair of the Young Bar Association 1997-1998

Vice Chair of the Family Bar Association 2008-2010

Chair of the Family Bar Association 2016-2018

Member of the Bar Council 2018-2020

Publications

Experts in the Children Court 25^th November 2015

Confirmation Bias (updated) in the Children’s Court 19^th October 2017

Children and Competence for Court - OLIB & NIGALA 7^th March 2018

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – how the criminal and family courts treat Domestic Abuse – See Hear Act – Women’s Aid Federation Conference February 2018

The impact of Domestic Abuse in Financial proceedings post separation - 3^rd European Conference in Domestic Violence - OSLO 3 September 2019