About Cearta Mna
Our Story
This campaign was founded by survivors, advocates, frontline professionals, and legal reformers who witnessed a devastating truth:
Ireland’s family law system is failing the very people it is meant to protect.
Too many women and children experience coercive control, intimidation, and emotional harm long after leaving an abusive partner. In family courts, survivors often face:
- minimisation of abuse,
- misuse of the in camera rule to silence them,
- unsafe contact orders,
- unregulated assessments, and
- systemic post-separation legal abuse.
Our movement grew out of these lived experiences. We came together to demand a system where safety, truth, and justice are non-negotiable and where survivors are never re-victimised by the process that should protect them.
We are survivor-led, expert-informed, and driven by a collective belief that Ireland can - and must - do better.
Mission Statement
To reform Ireland’s family law system so that women and children experiencing domestic abuse are protected, heard, and empowered - not silenced, disbelieved, or placed at further risk.
Our mission is to:
- expose systemic failures,
- end post-separation legal abuse,
- promote evidence-based, trauma-informed practice,
- ensure safety-focused decision-making, and
- empower survivors to reclaim their rights and their voices.
Vision Statement
An Ireland where every survivor of domestic abuse - and every child - is safe, believed, and supported in a family law system built on transparency, accountability, and justice.
We envision a future where:
- coercive control is recognised and understood by all practitioners,
- courts prioritise child safety above parental rights,
- harmful myths such as “parental alienation” are eliminated,
- domestic-abuse-informed practice is embedded in law,
- survivors can speak openly without fear of punishment,
- and the family law system becomes a genuine pathway to protection and healing.