Imprint: Triarchy Press
Published: 2008
List Price: £10.00
Offer Price: £5.99
Format: Paperback
Extent: 40pp.
Size: 17 x 24.4 cm
ISBN: 978-0-955768-15-6
Tags: Children Act, Children's Justice, Public Law

The Forward March of Children's Justice Halted
Edward Lloyd-Jones
Quotes and comments
Free Online Version

Buy the book

Paperback: 
Quantity: 

The Forward March of Children's Justice Halted
Edward Lloyd-Jones

This pamphlet was written as an urgent call to arms. In 2008, the  Labour government in the UK was in the process of subverting the children's justice system through a deadly combination of legal aid cuts, court fee hikes, market dogmatism, and reductionist protocols.

What had been an inspiration to all professionals involved in justice for children was being systematically dismantled. The Children Act 1989 had revolutionised childcare proceedings, making Legal Aid  available to parents and allowing an experienced social worker or guardian to build a relationship with the child to ascertain their feelings and needs and represent the child's interests to the court. All parties, including the local authority, were equally represented. 

There were some weaknesses in the system but it was an insightful starting point. Then, by 2008, rather than build on the knowledge of those directly involved in public family law, the government had been steadily introducing reforms to subvert this system of justice:-
  • Graduated and fixed fees for disadvantaged legal aid solicitors - the number of solicitors' firms undertaking legally aided family work had dropped by more than 40%...
  • Court fees charged to local authorities in public law children's cases were increased from £150 to more than £5,000 in May 2008
  • Residential assessments for parents and children to be paid for by an over-stretched and over-burdened local authority
  • Star ratings and key indicators that undermined the professionalism of all who work in this field
  • The Public Law Outline allowed for a decision about the future care of a child to be made without the child being represented.
The openness, empathy, intellectual curiosity and rigour required of, and willingly given by, all professionals in the field was brushed aside in favour of a  formula that made a mockery of common sense.

Readership

  • Policy makers and anyone working in or studying the field of children’s justice.

Explore

Subject areas
Ideas
Books
Authors