DSBA IN PERSON SEMINAR:
The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act – Three years on.
21st May 2026 – 2.30pm to 5.30pm
LOCATION: Byrne Wallace Shields LLP ,88 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2
Opening remarks: President of the High Court the Hon. Mr Justice David Barniville
TOPICS INCLUDE
- Updates for Practitioners and the role of the DMR – Aine Hynes SC
- The functions of the Decision Support Service: Update and Insights– Aine Flynn
- Case Law – Olive Doyle and Patrick McClean
- Discharge from Wardship – Marie Claire Butler
- Observations and Areas for improvement by practitioners
Questions and Answers Session
SPEAKERS
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
Áine Flynn. Áine Flynn is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and the Law Society. As a senior partner in KOD Lyons, she specialised in criminal defence and public interest law, including disability, equality and mental health and capacity law. She was a member of the panel of legal practitioners for the Mental Health Tribunal and Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board from their inception. She is a long-standing member of the Law Society’s Human Rights and Equality Committee. She has written and lectured on capacity law reforms in Ireland and has acted in an advisory role to support State bodies on related policy development. In October 2017, Áine was appointed as the first Director of the Decision Support Service under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 with responsibility for the establishment of the service, which has now been operational since April 2023.
Marie-Claire is the General Solicitor for Minors and Wards of Court.
Marie-Claire has extensive experience in deprivation of liberty, minors, elder abuse cases (including financial abuse) and the representation of persons who are placed outside the jurisdiction for specialist treatment. Marie-Claire has a particular interest in eating disorder cases, and cases involving complex psychiatric issues, including PTSD. Marie-Claire is currently leading the review and transition of Wards of Court from Wardship (where the General Solicitor is Committee) to the new Assisted Decision-Making regime. She was the first practitioner to move a Part 6 application before the High Court. She is considered a subject matter expert in this area and frequently delivers training and talks to legal and non-legal groups.Maire-Claire is a member of Law Society of Ireland’s Mental Health and Capacity Task Force.
Patrick McClean
Patrick is a partner in the Byrne Wallace Shields Health and Social Care Department, and has over 20 years’ of experience specialising in this area, with particular emphasis on the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, the Mental Health Act, the Child Care Act, Children First Act, the National Vetting Bureau legislation, the Criminal Evidence Act, and the Termination of Pregnancy Act.
Olive Doyle
Olive is one of Ireland’s leading practitioners in Public Administrative Law specialising in Mental Health Law. Olive is a Partner in Byrne Wallace Shields with over 26 years’ experience of working in the area of Health and Regulatory Law. Olive is a prominent healthcare litigation specialist and advises on complex healthcare litigation; vulnerable persons and the law; service obligations to persons with disabilities; judicial review; emergency applications to the High Court; Constitutional rights; European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR); United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.