Children, the Law and the Welfare Principle

This book continues the themes addressed by its two predecessors in this mini-series by examining the role of the principle of the welfare interests of the child in the law of the U.S. and Canada.

Kerry O'Halloran - a professionally qualified lawyer, social worker and academic - has recently retired from 13 years as an adjunct professor at the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies at QUT, Brisbane. In Northern Ireland, he served on the Social Care Tribunal and on an HSS Trust adoption panel, has advised the Irish government on law reform matters, and has served in a consultancy capacity on government bodies such as Courts Services (Northern Ireland) and to the Open University in England. Previously employed as Assistant Director (Research) at the Centre for Voluntary Action, University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, his 30 books and many other publications include Conscientious Objection (Springer, 2022), The Politics of Adoption, 4th ed. (Springer, 2021), Adoption Law and Human Rights: International Perspectives (Routledge, 2018), Religion, Charity and Human Rights (CUP, 2014) and Child Care and Protection: The Law & Practice in Northern Ireland (Thomson Reuters, 2003).

Dedication Acknowledgments Introduction Part I Background Chap 1 Concepts, Constructs & Cultural Context Part II United States of America Chap 2 Policy, principles, legislation and courts Chap 3 The welfare principle in contemporary practice: public family law; civil and criminal jurisdictions Chap 4 The welfare principle in contemporary practice: private family law and hybrid proceedings Part III Canada Chap 5 Policy, principles, legislation and courts Chap 6 The welfare principle in contemporary practice: public family law; civil and criminal jurisdictions Chap 7 The welfare principle in contemporary practice: private family law and hybrid proceedings Part IV The Indigenous Children of North America Chap 8 Americans/Indians and the First Nations/Inuit Part V Themes of Commonality and Difference Chap 9 Themes and a comparative jurisdictional analysis Conclusion Select Bibliography Index