Maeve O'Rourke

{{Short description|Irish human rights lawyer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| image = Maeve O'Rourke (cropped).jpg

| caption = O'Rourke in 2024

| occupation = Human rights lawyer

| spouse = {{marriage|Ciarán Ahern|2020}}

| children = 1

| father = Sean O'Rourke

}}

Maeve O'Rourke is an Irish human rights lawyer.{{Cite web |title=Plans to seal the records of Mother and Baby Homes met with backlash |url=https://www.her.ie/news/plans-seal-records-irish-mother-baby-homes-met-backlash-511781 |access-date=2020-10-23 |website=Her.ie |language=en}} She is known for her involvement in seeking access for survivors and adopted people to their own personal data, and the publication of appropriately anonymised administrative files, contained in 'historical' abuse archives in Ireland including the archives of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, the Ryan Commission that investigated Industrial and Reformatory Schools, and the 'McAleese' Committee that inquired into Magdalene Laundries.{{Cite web |title=UN investigation into Magdalene laundries 'raises significant issues' |url=https://irishlegal.com/article/un-investigation-into-magdalene-laundries-raises-significant-issues |access-date=2020-10-23 |website=Irish Legal News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=O'Rourke |first=Maeve |date=2020-01-24 |title=Ireland's experience of memorialisation in the context of serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law: A submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence |url=https://aran.library.nuigalway.ie/handle/10379/15751 |publisher=Justice for Magdalenes Research |language=en |via=NUIGalway.ie}}

As of 2020, she lectures in Human Rights Law at the Irish Centre for Human Rights in the University of Galway.{{Cite web |date=2020-10-23 |title='No justification' given as to why mother and baby homes documents sealed, says Dr Maeve O'Rourke |url=https://extra.ie/2020/10/23/news/irish-news/dmaeve-orourke-legislation-mother-baby-home-documents |access-date=2020-10-23 |website=Extra.ie |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |date=2020-10-14 |title=Mother and baby home abuse archive 'must stay unsealed' |url=https://extra.ie/2020/10/14/news/irish-news/mother-baby-home-abuse-archive |access-date=2020-10-23 |website=Extra.ie |language=en-GB}}{{Cite news |last=O'Donoghue |first=Paul |title=Sealing mother and baby home records for 30 years 'shameful' |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/sealing-mother-and-baby-home-records-for-30-years-shameful-bksrxtmn8 |access-date=2020-10-23 |work=The Times |language=en |issn=0140-0460}} She is a member of Justice for Magdalenes Research.{{Cite web |date=2020-10-17 |title=Maeve O'Rourke: Not too late for State to break the secrecy around Mother and Baby Homes |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40066518.html |access-date=2020-10-23 |website=Irish Examiner |language=en}} O'Rourke campaigns on behalf of unmarried mothers and their children.{{Cite news |date=2020-10-13 |title=Mother-and-baby homes archive to be sealed for 30 years |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/1013/1171375-mother-baby-homes/ |work=RTÉ.ie |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Pollak |first=Sorcha |title=Parties should commit to establishing institutional abuse archive – coalition |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/parties-should-commit-to-establishing-institutional-abuse-archive-coalition-1.4147984 |access-date=2020-10-23 |work=The Irish Times |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Holland |first=Kitty |title=Magdalene survivor's UN case of key importance, lawyer says |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/magdalene-survivor-s-un-case-of-key-importance-lawyer-says-1.4175698 |access-date=2020-10-23 |work=The Irish Times |language=en}} She has represented victims before the Irish Human Rights Commission, and numerous United Nations human rights treaty bodies.{{Cite news |last=McKinley |first=Christopher |title=Magdalene's lawyer wins family law award |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/magdalene-s-lawyer-wins-family-law-award-1.1502818 |access-date=2020-10-23 |work=The Irish Times |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Power |first=Jack |title=Sealing abuse records for 75 years would make survivors 'invisible once more' |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/sealing-abuse-records-for-75-years-would-make-survivors-invisible-once-more-1.4095847 |access-date=2020-10-23 |work=The Irish Times |language=en}} In October 2020, she was critical of the Government's statement that it intended to 'seal' information regarding Ireland's mother and baby homes for 30 years.{{Cite web |last=O'Rourke |first=Dr Maeve |author-link=Maeve O'Rourke |title=Dr Maeve O'Rourke: Here's a full analysis of the problems with the Government's Mother and Baby Homes Bill |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/maeve-orourke-analysis-mother-and-baby-homes-5240049-Oct2020/ |access-date=2020-10-23 |website=TheJournal.ie |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-10-21 |title=Redress for 'historical' child abuse in care: what can Scotland learn from Ireland? - Dr Maeve O'Rourke |url=https://ukhumanrightsblog.com/2020/10/21/redress-for-historical-child-abuse-in-care-what-can-scotland-learn-from-ireland-dr-maeve-orourke/ |access-date=2020-10-23 |website=UK Human Rights Blog |language=en-GB}}