Minister McEntee has today signed the commencement order for the Children (Amendment) Act 2021. This follows the passage of the legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas and the signing into law by the President of the Act on 26th April.
This meant that a child could not be named in any case where someone was charged with killing the child.In some cases, it also meant the alleged perpetrator could not be named, if in doing so it would identify the child; for example, where family members were involved.
The Minister has been advised that because the Act relates to a criminal offence, it should not be brought into operation before it has been fully promulgated, pursuant to article 25 of the Constitution. To allow time for publication in the Iris Oifigiúil, and enrolment in the office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court, the advice is that the Act should not be commenced before 7th of May 2021.
The Act will therefore commence on 7th May 2021, as the commencement order provides.