Welcome Selina Paton – our new Policy & Research Intern

We’re delighted to today be welcoming Selina Paton to our team, joining us through her internship with the University of Glasgow’s Find a Solution programme.

During her legal studies, Selina developed a particular interest in family law and children’s rights, especially as Scotland moves toward fuller incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

She believes that embedding the principles of the UNCRC into our legal and social systems has the potential to transform how we approach family justice by shifting the focus more firmly onto the needs, voices, and long-term welfare of children. This interest was deepened during her year abroad studying law in Stockholm, Sweden. As a country that has already incorporated the UNCRC into its legal framework, Sweden offers a useful model for what children’s rights in practice can look like, not just in theory, but in the approaches by courts, schools, and families.

Sweden’s approach to shared parenting also stood out to her: co-parenting arrangements are not only more common but are often actively encouraged as a way to promote stability and maintain meaningful relationships between children and both parents post separation. Experiencing this perspective first hand sparked her enthusiasm for looking at how different jurisdictions handle similar challenges, and what lessons Scotland might learn as we move in a more child-centred direction.

Comparative analysis of legal systems is not something that she’s new to, as throughout her legal studies she has taken multiple Comparative law courses. She’s looking forward to applying the comparative lens during her time with Shared Parenting Scotland, thinking critically about what works well here, what could be improved, and how international best practices might inform that work.

She’ll attend monthly group meetings to get a sense of not only of the legal issues but also the institutional barriers that arise and how the Shared Parenting team and pro bono solicitors deal with them. She’s keen to be involved in all aspects of SPS’s work – especially the chance to hear directly from parents and families, and to understand the lived experiences behind the legal processes. She’s particularly excited about the opportunity to contribute to ongoing work that promotes shared parenting as a positive approach for many separated families.

The evidence is clear that, when done well, shared parenting can help maintain strong relationships between children and both of their parents – something that is not only beneficial emotionally, but also supports long-term stability and development. She’s looking forward to learning more about how policy, practice, and lived experience intersect in this area.

She’s keen to connect with others working in family law, children’s rights, and related fields. If your organisation is working on similar themes – from implementing the UNCRC in family courts to developing new ways of supporting children through conflict – she’d love to hear from you.