Family justice: what we can do to protect our children part1

Family justice: what we can do to protect our children

A ten-point plan to make our courts system fairer
Camilla Cavendish, The Times Online, July 9 2008. Part 1
Over the past three days The Times has set out some of the ways in which it fears the child protection system is being subverted by forces that are largely unaccountable. We believe that the Children Act has unintentionally handed enormous power to local authorities and experts, which some are using arbitrarily. And that secrecy keeps injustices from public view.
Opening up the system sounds easier than it is. Yet there are concerns that it could lead to paediatricians and other experts being vilified and refusing to do child protection work, social workers becoming demoralised and the exposure of families' private troubles. That journalists would not keep confidences. That reports by local papers might inadvertently add to the suffering of children by revealing their identities to people living near by.
These are valid concerns. I know two couples who have adopted children in very difficult circumstances. The natural parents of those children are quite unable to care for them, but they are also vengeful. Those couples and those children should not have to live in fear of being tracked down. They have made me think very carefully about the nuances of this. But I feel that these considerations can no longer outweigh the risk of grave injustices being perpetrated against children. And that we can put safeguards in place that will work.
When the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee heard evidence on this issue three years ago, many of the respondents seemed to assume that media access would inevitably hurt children. That is wrong. In the Court of Appeal almost all family law hearings are in public with reporting restrictions imposed. The press attends family proceedings in magistrates' courts, again with reporting restrictions. The press simply does not identify children when it is illegal to do so. Many of my articles may seem incomplete precisely because I am bending over backwards not to publish information that might identify the child.

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[killmeyer41]

how can we protect our son from his Judge grandmother is a high stature in the legal system and how can we protect him from the corruptness of the legal system??

[EDM1297]

6th March is the day of world wide Peaceful Protest against Child Abuse. We'll present this plan to some people in Westminster on the day. After all: who prevented it from being implemented???

With sighs and hopes,

Sabine

[justphil101]

Wait till I get to the scum from Walsall Looked after Childrens department. Even the LORD MAYOR of WALSALL has not responded to my letter. I eagerly await a summons from them.

[mothersforjusticeAU]

very true good vid

[UKSecretCourts]

Camilla Cavendish and "The Times", are a credit to the UK.

Well done on the video!