- Dads make noise over Family Court
- By One News
- tvnz.co.nz
- 08/05/2006 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: admin ( 61 articles in 2006 )
A group of angry fathers are claiming that family lawyers are encouraging false allegations of abuse.
The group have been protesting outside the homes of judges and lawyers in Auckland and Hamilton, calling for the Family Court to be abolished.
"What we've got now in our society is 300,000 children without their fathers, 89,000 have been processed by the Family Court," Men's Refuge spokesperson Jim Agnall said after a protest in Hamilton on the weekend.
Bearing pickets with slogans and chanting over loud hailers, protestors barraged a local judge's house, infuriating neighbours who leaped to the judge's defence and threatened to call the police.
Eventually the protestors left peacefully moving on to the next suburb and the next family court lawyer.
The group believe that many fathers have been unrightfully denied access to their children and are hoping to inspire a change of culture within the Family Court.
Last month, the Law Society said the protests are causing distress to children.
Chairman of the Law Society's Family Law Section, Simon Maude, said the protesters aren't breaking any laws but are causing children distress by using megaphones and distributing pamphlets with comments about the family lawyers.
Watch Demonstration outside a Judge's house
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