Working in the law all my professional life, I have paused, now and then, to ponder a little about our connection with it in wider aspects.

In 2005, I devised and presented a series for RTE Radio, Case Stated: Cases that Changed People's Lives, in which we reviewed some defining court cases that changed things for the better for all of us. I wrote a column in the 1980s titled 'Paulyn's Law', taking a wry look at the way things were and advocating reforms at a time when equality for women was not high on the agenda.

I have now written this little book, What Does Law Mean, Mumu? An Introduction to Law for Young People. The book shares the story of a group of friends – known as the Learners – who discover a little about the way our administrative systems are held together and justice upheld. 

The book is written through a story. The style is nomadic – it is a ‘walk and talk’ – by a group of  young people guided by a trusted person, called Mumu, as one thing leads to another.

There are many subjects covered – and there are many more that might have been included – but the book is not a Junior Course in Law; it is not a textbook.

It is a ‘vegetable soup’ mixture of subjects: from the symbols of justice to some differing approaches and processes used to arrive at a fair and reasonable outcome.