3rd July 2025 – 2.00pm to 5.00pm
Via webinar
Dismissals from wardship – Alice A White
Legal Aid and the 2015 Act – Peadar Browne
Circuit Court Applications; practical guidance for making a successful application – Aine Hynes S.C
Our speaker presentations will be followed by a panel discussion on Professional Wellness – managing client’s expectations.
Chair: Katharine Kelleher
SPEAKERS
Alice White is the Registrar of Wards of Court and has 22 years’ experience in the Irish Courts Service. She has worked in a number of front-line court offices and support areas in the Service. She has had several senior roles in the Courts Service and was in the High Court before being appointed Registrar of Wards of Court in October 2019. Alice has a Bachelor of Business degree and post graduate certificate in corporate governance.
Peadar Browne is Managing Solicitor of the Dublin Assisted Decision-Making Service of the Legal Aid Board and has been dealing with applications under the 2015 Act since its commencement. Peadar has extensive experience of the Part 5 process in the Circuit Court in Dublin, working closely with Judges, the HSE, the DSS and other stakeholders, he also has extensive experience of the Part 6 process in the High Court. The Dublin Assisted Decision-Making Service is a dedicated unit dealing specifically with all applications for Legal Aid under the 2015 Act, this provides legal aid to applicants and relevant persons in Part 5 applications and provides legal aid in Part 6 discharge applications. Legal Advice in relation to registering co-decision-making agreements and EPAs with the DSS is also provided. To date circa 630 Part 5 applications have been processed. The Legal Aid Board is currently processing over 1,000 Part 6 applications (instructed primarily by the Wards of Court Office).
Áine Hynes S.C. is a partner in public and administrative law in St. John Solicitors. Áine currently chairs the Law Society Mental Health Law and Capacity Taskforce and has made extensive submissions to government on appropriate amendments to the ADMCA. She has been involved in many circuit court applications under the ADMCA and recent High Court applications
Chairperson
Katharine Kelleher BCL LL.M qualified as a solicitor in 1989 and is a partner at Comyn Kelleher Tobin LLP. She has a special interest in the areas of mental health, disability, regulatory and capacity law.