Australian Equal Parenting Reforms under attack

RFFJ Comment: The amendments made in Australia to offer fairer shared parenting outcomes are under attack by the current government following a report they have had commissions following a tragic case of a father killing his child after being awarded shared parenting.

Once again we see individual violent acts by individuals and failing Family Courts being used to condemn all separated and divorced fathers as violent and not worthy of being treated with equity in the Family Courts.

http://news.realfathersforjustice.org/index.php?itemid=319

Fathers and family health in the perinatal period

http://www.fatherhoodinstitute.org/uploads/publications/448.pdf

Fathers today undertake 800% more child care than their own fathers ever did. The source is from 1999, the figure of the present reality would be higher.

The underlining social dynamics are clear, fathers are an important factor in the healthy development of children, it is time written law values this fact.

Northern Ireland politicians and others in Contempt of Court for discussing Children Order matters?

http://www.mckenziefriend.com/2010/01/19/northern-ireland-politicians-and-others-in-contempt-of-court-for-discussing-children-order-matters/

Having taken some time out to concentrate on political developments in Northern Ireland, most of our original readers will be glad to hear that I am going back to my specialist subject, family law reform. Of course I would like our new readers to stay, but unless the issues I normally blog on affect them or their family or friends they have my permission to blog off!

Real Father For Justice gain political backing from the SDLP

REAL FATHERS FOR JUSTICE MEET THE SDLP WITH RESOUNDING SUCCESS

Present:

RFFJ:

·          Pete Morris - regional coordinator
·          Hugh Mc Cloy – R&D officer
·          Brian Quinn
·          Cliff Owens

SDLP:

·          Pat Ramsey MLA, Chief Whip. SDLP Spokesperson on Employment and Learning

·          Patsy Mc Glone MLA. SDLP Spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Affairs

·          Dominic Bradley MLA. SDLP Spokesperson on Education, Irish language

·          Alex Attwood MLA. SDLP Spokesperson on OFMDFM, North-South Development, Policing Board member

·          Dolores Kelly MLA. Chair of the Northern Ireland Assembly Environment Committee

·          Mary Bradley MLA. SDLP Spokesperson on Older People and Children (OFMDFM)

·          John Dallat MLA, SDLP Spokesperson on Environment

·          Conall McDevitt

HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR RFFJ

18/01/2010, RFFJ met with the SDLP assembly party, we were warmly greeted by Pat Ramsey and Patsy Mc Glone and taken to party offices. After introductions from each MLA present the floor was opened up to RFFJ members to give personal accounts of their experiences with family law in Northern Ireland, reporting restrictions on personal cases does not allow for this information to be published.
MLA’s listened and were shocked by the events that were told to them; this was furthered then by Hugh Mc Cloy opening the discussion on family Law and was promptly followed by Pete Morris who included domestic violence in his retort.
MLA’s present then took turns to ask questions on research and reports provided by RFFJ, each of which were answered at length,  supported with laws and statistics.
Discussed Also was the actions of RM John Meehan, Dungannon and Omagh family court; it was put to the SDLP that this particular judge was acting backwards in respect to written law in terms of no delay. It has been widely reported that this judge inserts a period of delay of up to 3 months before court cases are listed.
In respect to a meeting between the Gender Equality Unit, the SDLP will be taking swift action upon the negation of commitments by this unit and will be seeking a meeting to clarify their position.
Mary Bradley was well taken in her response to RFFJ in that when a child is stopped from seeing its father, the knock on effect is that the child losses contact with it grandparents and extended family.
Issues of child abuse by new partners was also heavily mentioned, a biological father can be stopped from seeing a child based on allegation alone, yet any other person in this country can be moved into  the same child’s residence unchecked. This area was widely accepted to be wrong and another issue that will be raised in the future.
Violation of Human Rights was also discussed in term of the family bench book in where guidance is given to allow judges to violate articles 6 & 8 and the legality of such violations. Also raised was the UN Convention on the Rights of Children and that aspects of this convention should be enshrined in domestic law.
The SDLP have committed to aiding RFFJ in the creation of change in family law and provision of help and supports networks for men, no other party in the history of N.Ireland politics have made such a commitment and the SDLP are most welcoming in the proposals put forward by RFFJ.
RFFJ, thank the SDLP for their efforts and their commitment to the meeting; it has been two very long years since Pete Morris first took the step to lobby MLA’s for such a meeting and the result was more than could be asked for.

Pete Morris – 077553377498

Hugh Mc Cloy - 07871503189

Photos are available at :

http://www.presseye.com/

 

Dr. Phil exposes the abuse of this man's civil rights

http://parentalalienationcanada.blogspot.com/2010/01/wife-on-dr-phil-show-admits-lying-about.html


Interesting how Dr. Phil exposes the abuse of this man's civil rights but pillories him by doing so. His audience is largely female so he doesn't want to step too far out of the box to curry disfavour from his base

RFFJ to meet the SDLP

A meeting is confirmed between The Real Fathers For Justice (RFFJ) and the assembly party SDLP, Monday 18 January 2010 at 9.45 am in Room 274, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast.

This is major political breakthrough for RFFJ, who are committed to social and criminal justice for all.

As highlighted by RFFJ regional coordinator, Pete Morris, the group will be going on the political and public offensive this year 2010, after spending the greater part of 2009 lobbying to little effect.

RFFJ will also be seeking through this meeting clarification on the negation of commitments made to RFFJ by the Gender Equality Unit in Oct 2009. This unit is headed by world travelled women's rights speaker Eileen Sung, which is in turn under the control of the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister


http://www.realfathersforjustice.org/news/index.php?itemid=307