A Children’s Rights Approach to Parental Consent in Neonatal Medical Research: Proposals for Reform

Her PhD examines the issue of the legal governance of medical research with neonates. It identifies gaps in Irish law and argues that a comprehensive legal framework needs to be developed in order to protect the rights of neonates. In this regard, it aims to propose a regulatory framework which is firmly based on core concepts of children’s rights law and policy. During her stay at the Brocher Foundation, Katherine is working on a chapter of her thesis entitled “A Children’s Rights Approach to Parental Consent in Neonatal Medical Research: Proposals for Reform”. This will examine the central legal and ethical issues which arise in this area, including an exploration of the specific challenges which arise in emerging genetic research, such as gene therapy and biobanking, and will make concrete proposals for reform.