Critically analyse this statement of Tobin to include an analysis on the present law around the non-marital family and particularly the issue of the single father and guardianship.

Despite calls for reform dating back to 1982, the unmarried father remains the subject of prima facie discrimination on the grounds of his gender and relationship status in the context of statutory guardianship rights… While the lack of automatic guardianship rights for unmarried fathers is frustrating, Ireland is not alone in failing to provide for this.

Tobin, B (2019) ‘Law and Parental Rights ‘in Black, L, & Dunne, P (eds) 2019, Law and Gender in Modern Ireland: Critique and Reform, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London:103-116.

Critically analyse this statement of Tobin to include an analysis on the present law around the non-marital family and particularly the issue of the single father and guardianship. Evaluate the extent to which this area has been reformed and consider if the reforms have brought Irish Law up to date with the reality of lived family life in Ireland today or if more is required.

Your essay should include comparisons with other jurisdictions.

Word limit 2000  words (not including referencing).

All essays should be typed using , 1.5 spacing; Times New Roman size 12 font, specify the word count used and be correctly referenced.

Marks awarded will count for 30 % of the total marks available for the year