Family Court judges "putting lives of children at risk" (New Zealand)

Good post from New Zealand.

http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/family-court-judges-putting-lives-children-risk/5/94555

Family Court Judges "putting lives of children at risk"
Voxy News Engine Friday, 8 July, 2011 - 20:26

"There is increasing practice-based evidence that some Family Court Judges are so out of touch with the real needs of the best interests of children in New Zealand, that they are putting the lives of these children at risk; in fact some Family Court judges are behaving like ignorant demigods in their appointed positions of power" says Steve Taylor, a Counsellor, Researcher, and Director of 24-7 Ltd, a private practice Family Counselling practice located in Greenlane, Auckland.

"I have recently become aware of a case where a Family Court Judge awarded shared care of a child to an emotionally abusive father, despite the father having a CYF Notification filed against him, and despite the evidence of 3 professionals affirming the father's abusive behaviour towards the child".

"In another New Zealand case, a Counsel for Child Lawyer filed a false report to the Family Court, and the Judge accepted the report without first checking the veracity of the content, despite the Lawyer facing a complaint to the NZ Law Society for professional misconduct".

In the USA, while a Family Court Judge was censured and reprimanded for judicial misconduct, and suspended for 45 days without pay: http://www.kentucky.com/2009/11/03/v-print/1002833/judge-suspended-for-45-days-without.html

in the UK, Family Court Judges sent 200 people to prison for as long as 6 months in complete secrecy, and without any meaningful substantiated evidence: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/camilla_cavendish/article1832184.ece

"In the upcoming Family Court review, it will be timely for Minister of Justice, Simon Power, to consider what sanctions are available to reign in the unbridled power of Family Court Judges in New Zealand - we don't need to have any more Judge-led deaths of children before appropriate restraints are put in place http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10736872 says Mr Taylor.