Dr Lydia Bracken is a lecturer at the School of Law, UL. Lydia’s research interests are in the areas of child and family law and European human rights. In particular, she is interested in examining the legal recognition of ‘non-traditional’ and ‘new’ family forms and exploring how such recognition can be provided in a manner that respects the rights and interests of children. Topics within this research include issues pertaining to parentage, adoption, and the legal regulation of assisted human reproduction including surrogacy. Lydia’s forthcoming monograph, Same-Sex Parenting and the Best Interests Principle, will be published with Cambridge University Press in 2020.

Publications

Bracken, L., ‘Law’ in P. Crawford, ed. (2019). Companion for Health Humanities (forthcoming, Routledge).

Bracken, L. (2017). ‘The Assisted Reproduction Bill 2017: An Analysis of Proposals to Regulate Surrogacy in Ireland’. Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly. 68 (4). https://nilq.qub.ac.uk/index.php/nilq/article/view/65

Bracken, L. (2017). ‘Assessing the best interests of the child in cases of cross-border surrogacy: inconsistency in the Strasbourg approach?’ Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. 39 (3): 368-379. https://doi.org/10.1080/09649069.2017.1344393

Bracken, L. (2017). ‘The Role of the Best Interests Principle in Regulating Parentage in Surrogacy in Ireland’. International Family Law. 115.

Bracken, L. (2016). ‘In the Best Interests of the Child? The Regulation of DAHR in Ireland’. European Journal of Health Law. 23 (4): 391-408. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718093-12341400