What Does Law Mean, Mumu?: A Book about the Law for Young People.

by Paulyn Marrinan

From Ombudsman to YA author – new book by Paulyn Marrinan Quinn targets teen audience One of Ireland’s leading lawyers, best-known for her career as an Ombudsman, has published her first work of Young Adult (YA) fiction this week. Paulyn Marrinan Quinn, a Senior Counsel, was Ireland’s first Insurance Ombudsman and, subsequently, the founding Ombudsman for the Defence Forces. Over her distinguished career, she has been a founding member of the British and Irish Ombudsman Association; established a postgraduate diploma on Conflict and Dispute Resolution Studies at Trinity College Dublin; and worked with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe on issues such as gender mainstreaming and human rights for armed forces personnel. Now, the respected barrister has turned her attention writing, publishing ‘What Does Law Mean, Mumu?’, a book about the law, targeting the ‘young adult’ age-group. The book follows the story of Mumu, who guides a group of young people on an adventure-filled tour of Dublin, using the cityscape to explain various aspects of the law. Mumu introduces her young charges to renowned legal concepts and cases, including those of ‘the snail in the ginger beer’ and the fictional ‘man on the Clapham omnibus’, and uses ground-breaking historical events such as the Great Famine to illustrate the relationship of law to our daily lives. Inspiration Commenting on her inspiration for the book, Paulyn Marrinan Quinn, “People might think that the law is too complex a topic to engage young people. But, since they were very young, my own grandchildren have asked me questions about how the law works, how police officers behave, how judgements are made on people who commit crimes, and so on – as my own children had done before them. My grandchildren call me ‘Mumu’, and it was they who inspired me to write this book. “The book was finished towards the end of 2018, and I was looking out for a publisher. Then, finding myself isolated and alone in the first week of ‘Lockdown’, as my despair was deepening at not being able to hold and hug my children and grandchildren, I decided to publish it. I thought this was something I could make happen and it might help me cope with the bleak separation from my loved ones. “So, I set about remotely enlisting help to set up a project website, do the typesetting, create the book cover, and cover art, and organise an initial print-run. I recorded the audio version of the book itself, due to be available on Audible soon, and I also recorded an accompanying podcast series. This work helped me get through the challenges of recent months, and the loneliness of ‘Lockdown’.” Appeal for All Ages Ms. Marrinan Quinn said that, while targeted at young people, her book could serve as a user-friendly introduction to the law for all ages. “It is not a comprehensive legal text-book – it’s written as a story, with the intention of making a range of legal concepts and processes interesting for people of all ages, stirring curiosity and encouraging readers to delve further into the topics,” she said. “I’ve often had the experience of having fully-grown adults tell me they have a poor understanding of the law, and wish they knew more. This book might be as much for them as it is for young people. “The book refers to topics spanning the European Union to alternative dispute resolution processes, such as mediation and reconciliation. It also touches on data protection, misuse of social media, and bullying and harassment.

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2020

Reviews

[Ellen Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simply explains law and how it works in a fun way. Loved that it was written as a story.