- Circuits:
Cork
Dublin- Other Memberships:
- Childrens Rights Alliance
Family Lawyers Assocation
Mental Health Reform
The Association for Child & Adolescent Mental Health - Other Languages:
- Irish (Working)
- Direct Professional Access:
- Provided
Biography
Joanna Ralston is a practising Barrister-at-Law with 20 years post qualification experience. She is based in Cork and has a broad general practice on the Cork Circuit and Dublin.
In particular Joanna has developed her practice specialising in child and family law. Joanna has particular interest and expertise in mental health law, disability law, the law surrounding vulnerable persons and capacity law.
Joanna holds an LLM (Child and Family Law), First-Class Honours from University College. Joanna also completed a PhD in the area of mental health law and children’s rights at University College Cork in December 2022.
Joanna is also a law lecturer at the School of Law, University College Cork in the area of child and family law.
Publications
Irish Journal of Family Law [2014] 17(3) 86-92, “Admission of Children to Approved Centres in Ireland: Is the Voice of the Child Being Heard? Part I”
Irish Journal of Family Law [2014] 17(4) 112-115, “Admission of Children to Approved Centres in Ireland: Is the Voice of the Child Being Heard? Part II”
Medico-Legal Journal of Ireland [2020] 26(2) 88-95, “Parental Responsibility, Deprivation of Liberty and Admission of Adolescents to Mental Health Approved Centres”
Pro-bono & Voluntary
Joanna is a member of the Rights Review Committee for the Brothers of Charity, Munster Region at Lota in Cork.
Additional Information
Since 2023 Joanna is a law lecturer at the Law School at University College Cork.
From 2015 to 2022 Joanna was an Assistant Law Lecturer at the Law School at University College Cork. Joanna lectured both at undergraduate and post graduate level during this time. Joanna lectured in child law, family law, social inclusion and the law, the law concerning vulnerable persons, mental health law, disability law as well as comparative family property law.