May backs reform of “unjust” family laws
The Conservatives would abolish the Government’s children and family advisory service and establish the “presumption” that parents have an equal role in bringing up their children, Theresa May said today.
Speaking to the Conservative Party conference in Bournemouth today, the Conservatives’ family spokesperson said the family is “at the heart of society” and the Conservatives would reflect that by putting it “at the heart of Government”.
She said the Children Act – passed by the previous Conservative government – was no longer working. “Normal” parents were being prevented from caring for their children, and in some cases prevented from seeing their children at all, she claimed.
Noting that “the best parent is both parents”, she said the Tories would publish a bill to give a “presumption” of co- parenting and a right for both parents to be involved in bringing up their children, when couples separate.
“We will ensure that the law serves the best interests of the child – and children deserve to see both parents,” she said.
However, she reserved her strongest criticism for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS), which she said should be removed to restore “justice and transparency” to the family court system.
She lambasted the agency for having no guidelines about allowing proper contact with both parents.
“[It has] no guidelines saying whether proper ‘contact’ is just a two-hour visit once a fortnight – or half the holidays; amazingly, no records on how much contact it allows.
“It is a bureaucratic shambles, it is deeply unjust and it is letting families down.”
Noting that court should be the last resort and not the first, she promised to abolish CAFCASS and replace it with a mediation service. This would ensure officials could intervene early to make sure disputes did not have to go to court but were sorted out quickly in the best interests of the children.
