The Government’s controversial legislation to grant adopted people basic information and tracing rights breaches international human rights law and appears to “ignore EU law entirely”. That’s according to a range of legal experts who have joined adoption rights campaigners, representatives of natural mothers, and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties in claiming that the long-awaited legislation is not fit for purpose. Despite campaigners labelling it “deeply discriminatory”, Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone has defended recent amendments to the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill as striking the correct balance between the right to privacy and the right to identity. However, solicitor Fred Logue of FP Logue, a specialist in information law, said the proposed amendments to the bill are “extremely concerning and appear to ignore EU law entirely”. “I don’t think the proposed amendments create a regime that is compatible with data protection law,” he said.

Source: Irish Examiner June 14, 2019 05:03 UTC