EU Parliament: Systemic Failings of the UK Family Court System
Follow up of a Petition Hearing of a father at the Petition Committee of the European Parliament on 11th November 2014 about violation of European Union Law through a EU member state. The first petition hearing was on 19th March 2014 and is also available on archive.org
This was the 2nd part of a petition to the EU Petitions Commission on it’s motion: Systemic Failings of the UK Family Court System
The petition was in the name of Klaus Zinser, assisted by Vincent McGovern.
The outcome was that for the first time ever the failing UK family Court system was subject to an external investigation by the EU Commission.
0-5:54 min are the joint petition by Klaus and Vincent. From 6 minutes onwards there then follows the most boring stonewalling by the legal expert who did all she could to frustrate the investigation.
The brilliant EU Children’s Commissioner, Rainer Wieland, very skilfully pushed the Commission into ordering an investigation especially from 18:15 until 23:01 where the video ends.
Basically, it was about how the UK family Court and associated services had displayed contempt for an international order regarding a father being allowed meaningful time with his child.
There was an investigation, sadly it focused only on the huge increase of children being taken into care by the UK and quite often from foreign mothers with a poor command of English. Forced adoptions were reduced by 53% within a year. I’m still working towards a similar improvement in outcomes for children in private family law proceedings.
You are of course most welcome to help!