These courts do not provide justice of any kind, there is no arrest, prosecution or evidence in these cases. Simply instant judgement offering no ability for parents to defend themselves or their children. But it does cost a lot of tax money, which goes towards incapable carers & incompetant judges

Claire, York, North Yorkshire

I was involved a case of a child unnecessarily taken into care and was shocked by the power and incompetence of the social services, and the acquiecence of the legal services. The courts are secret for their benefit, not the childs. The SS do not help and protect familes, keep clear of them.

Jon , Swansea, UK

8 years of attending Courts due to the Mother constantly breaching every Court Order and Penal Notice and the Courts doing NOTHING shows the Courts have chosen the low moral ground, but can't even attain that.

Donald, Dundee, Sctoland

There is contempt of court - far worse, is that we have arrivved at the contempt for the courts stage !

William, Southampton, UK

Ihave had my children forceable removed from me, and give to their father for contact ordered by a judge. social services first became involved when I shared what was happening in our home, to a health visitor. Social services said either father moves out or we take your children into care. Father moves out , but then the judge says he is allowed contact and he is allowed to have them every other weekend. Since then they have they have on the at risk register twice. They have come back with bruises - non accidental. But because I cannot prove they have happened in his care.... even though I have tried even videoing them before they go to show they have no bruises. Its not enother , I was told by a chld protection officer unless they are brought home with a serious injury or brought back in a body bag there is nothing I can do. Each time they go to their father I pray they will return to me safe and well. We talk about breaking the cycle of violence. I have no trust in social services

mum , yorkshire, england

A year ago I might have thought that Mr CP a point - I'd certainly have been amazed at some of the stories recounted in this article, these comments and similar sites.

Then this year two of my friends, as close a couple as I know, sought proffesional help for the troubled behaviour of their daughter, and the reaction of Social services has been to take both their children into care, extensively investigate my friends but not any other other possible cause to their child's problems, and now they are living apart as the only way that at least one of them will regain care of their children.
I don't know what evidence there is against them - its seems that to call it 'circumstancial' would be generous to the social services - but given the secrecy of the family courts I'm not legally allowed to know more. And all this time the children have been given NO specialist support giving lie to idea the system is set up to put their interests first

CMR, North England,

I am a father who has been without his daughter for nearly five years, this is due to the lack of help and understanding by all, who has been involved in my case. I have come to the conclusion, that no family judge has any legal right to advise or make the parent with residency ( this occasion the mother ).
To let our child see her father. If the resident parent wants to dig their heels and stop contact taking place. Then no judge so far will do anythinfg about it. I am now into my fourth judge sincethe last have refused todo no more. I amat my wits end because i have only seen my daghter for a 100 hours in the last 5 years, even though i hav been granded 20 times more contat by these judges. Is there anything i can do now to ensure that my daughter knows that i have done every thing i have been asked to do for both usto be able to see each other again. The family system at present does not work and has many failings when will sombody sand up and put this right.
Justafather,

Justafather, swansea, wales

No one is interested untill they are personally affected, then its too late.
The public would be shocked about what goes on behind closed doors, but its to the benefit of the law and policy makers, to keep every one in ignorance.
We are very ignorant, of our rights, the power of the family courts, the corruption by social workers, and it goes on.
My family are fighting now.The one thing I know is, we are helpless. so many people gone through the same thing, we are powerless to help each other.we have been effectively, divided and conquered.
If this was any where else, there would be protesting on the streets. liberty, and mind totally useless/Whats the phrase, as much use as a chocolate teapot. Its scandelous whats happening to us and our children.Time to stand up and be counted and begin to fight back. The one thing weve all learnt is there is no help for us, so we must make our own.
our young children have a bounty on their heads.
slavery is alive and kicking in the UK

Justa grandmam, Holyhead, Gwynedd

Re the views of CP Scotland

I find your attitude and view reprehensible. Clearly you have no understanding of the long term harm that the actions of the SS have upon parents, children and even adoptive parents. Leaving them to pick up the pieces of a broken life that is a direct result of the stupidity of the supposed professionals who make a mess then walk away. Perhaps if they had the decency to develop a conscience then they may do better but clearly they become amoral the minute they begin to do the job. I wonder whether it is one of the specifications in the job description. I am unsure of whether your views are based on ignorance, arrogance of just stupidity. Clearly you either are or are related to a Social Worker.

Disgruntled grandparent, England,

The number of views to this site continue to grow, showing more and more people, seek out information and support.
We actually need to be doing more.Ive written an emailed, MPs, journalists, radio stations, celebrities, any one I could think of who may bring a glimmer of hope, but there is none..
the law is still an ass. There is no "Law" in the family Law Court.
Social services, and its affiliates, have unbridled power, which should be rained in.they are corrupt and unscrupulous.
There are so many of us, and the numbers are growing, so why cant we do anything.
Its time to make the government listen, why aren't we having rallies, public protests, just why are we so helpless.Yes Camilla, your doing a great job, but we are writing your news, and your getting paid.We need to mobilise, in a productive way.Lets start thinking, working together.
Mr Hemmings MP is an example other MP's should follow, Why is he a lone voice. we have been divided, and unless we unite, we are conquered

Justa grandmam, Holyhead, Gwynedd

This sort of behaviour by social services (i.e. the state, meaning the people we have voted for us to represent us, in OUR name) is a crime against humanity. The presumption that the state knows best and can intervene in private family life like this is very dangerous - yes, even more dangerous than the risk of not intervening in most cases. I have been personally effected by circumstances like these - my heart goes out to anyone who has had their families and lives destroyed in this barbaric manner. It is worse than a berievement. Children who are taken on spurios grounds will find out, eventually, and will not thank the state for its intervention. What to do about it? My advice is to leave the UK and try to have a normal life somewhere else where there is a better family court system!

Simon Jones, Sunderland,

my daughter was sexually abused when she was 6yrs old her abuser was not charged with the crime he commited how ever i the mother was charged with failing to protect her from sexual abuse she was put in care for protection while in care she was emotionly/physically and sexually abused several times they were not accountable for these crimes against my daughter, when she was 14yrs old she was returned to me very damaged and unstable but with alot of TLC i helped her get some normaltie back, by the time she was 20 she had 2 children the youngest was a sicky baby social service used this and my daughters past to take them into care also she was pregnant with twins they took them too we fought for these children long and hard and lost seems they are a law unto themselves you cant win no one listens to us they are now 9,6 and 5 they have been adopted out it is decided all before you enter court families have no chance we dont have a voice to speak up for us no one wants to help the innocent

netti, ashton under lyne, lancs

If social services had been around when the nazis were torturing and killing children and babies they would have gone after those who were missing school and put them into care, or if it lined their pockets better they would be the ones pulling babes from arms and handing them over, hence the name ss.

C Powell, Sheffield,

Simple solution. Close down the entire social service system. It does far more harm than good, always has, and always will.

Alan Melville, Edinburgh,

It strikes me that ourgovernment is full of hypocritical balderdash ,stealing the children one moment and claiming to promote family values the next. O. K. the family value is a financial reward for an adoption often for no reason than the social workers are unable to show help for struggling families .Where there is a real need they exasperate the situation by piling on even more pressure and not actually giving support ,
.I know one christian couple who have so far had four babies taken because he is a christian no charges ,no incident of any wrong doing nor evidence of threat and little chance of seeingg thierkidnapped children returned .Isn't it about time we called this by its name our government has set up a state sponsered child trafficking busines overseen by a heartless bunch of slave traders and a star chamber court system designed to abuse both the children and the parents . this does not look after any bodies rightas in fact thier rights are waved by the state for money.

doug, plymouth, devon

I am sad to say that these same secret 'family courts' with their affiliated psychologists and child 'protective' services (it is THEM that the children need protection from) exist in rampant, full blown bloated evil abundance in this country as well. Their criminally abhorrent treatment of 'non-custodial' (or victim) parents is so widespread that it has been termed "character assassination", and is also fully characterized by widespread, condoned and accepted perjury on the part of the real kidnappers, child 'protective' services. Children are known to have been kidnapped from their natural parents for things ranging from "minor surface scratches" to a slender child being taken for accused under -nourishment, to the ever present and always included "neglect". The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) says they are "out of control"; it is time for the victimized parents of all countries to unite and eliminate this common EVIL. The AFRA (American Family Rights Assoc.) website has info

Sherryl, Napa Valley, ca, usa

My view is that it is time one looked at the cost on the tax payer, the disruption to peoples lifes with the family law Courts.
They side with local Authorities,well in Nottingham courts they do, they never come up with a settlement prior to court.
The Chidrens act wants up dateing in line with the human rights act..
Stop sending families to prison which can be better used for dangerous criminals,often let off light.
Reconise children want their families for support and love.
The officials never stop to think of the effects on a child in care without contact with family in later life,or the fact that a child can sue later in life taking all the funds from other sources such as care for the elderly and vulnerable, in legal fees.

Linda Moore, Poole, UK

In the UK unfortunately the professions seem to think that they are superior to common humanity and accordingly have moggie brains which does not take cognisance of decency, fairnes and plain good law. They should learn from other countries (stop being horrified, you are NOT a deity) or maybe go to those countries where the people will act faced with injustice.
By the way I hold 3 real degrees and am classified as a professional but not trained (or brainwashed) in the UK.

Richard, London,

I am confused about how the family courts work. In St Helens, UK where I live the local government always keep children and mother together even if there is evidence of child abuse. However in certain areas children are efficiently taken away from a loving household with little if no evidence. In a number of newspapers it was reported that these government agencies recieved funding if they manage to adopt children. Now my point is this if poor young Leticia Wright had been white would she have been easier to adopt and of more interest to social services?

David Shaw, St Helens, UK

i have known my partner for 25 years we lost touch for about 10 years during this time she gave birth to 4 daughters unfortunetly the 2 partners she had the children with were either drinkers or wife beaters i remet my the love of my life in 19 87 she was underweight 6 stone and frankly had lost the will to live she had chrones diesease,siezures and post traumatic stress syndrome (brought on by the fact that when she was in care she was repeatedly sexual abused by a church warden who was her foster mothers brother she told her social worker but it was back in the 70's in 1999 he was charged with the abuse he did to her)the 4 kids were taken into care the eldest as special needs she was placed in a foster home the other 3 were adopted 3 years later she gave birth to our daughter i had to wait 3 weeks before i knew my own daughter would be able come home with us 2 years later the daughter who was in foster care was returned to us so would the other 3 if they werent adopted.

john graham, preston, lancs

Both my son and I are disabled. My son, the most beautiful little boy in the whole world, has Downs Syndrome and is 14 years old. I am a wheel-chair user with arthritis.

Over 2 years ago he was taken into foster care for 2 weeks while I had to go into hospital. He is still there. I see him once a month and was told he would never come home.

PLEASE believe me, I have never and would never do anything to hurt either of my children. I was driven to reporting the foster carers and Social Work Department to the NSPCC (upheld) because he is not being cared for as he should be.
The smell of the resulting whitewash still lingers.

I cannot get a solicitor to take the case on...too complicated (disability rights, human rights and family law) for a legal aid pittance.
The pain I suffer on a daily basis through disability is as nothing to the death by a thousand cuts delivered by sweet smiling social workers who understand nothing of Downs Syndrome or disability issues...let alone Human Rights

J. Slater, Manchester, UK

No jury would confiscate a child from a mother that had never harmed it simply because she believed he was innocen of an unproved accusation made before she even knew him !No jury would give away a child for adoption by strangers because some so called expert made a prediction that one day the child just might suffer ''emotional abuse''No jury would sanction the snatching of a newborn baby from its mother's arms because her previous husband battered her so she was deemed unable to protect it. from witnessing the violence. Allt hese cases except the first differ from that quoted by Camilla but all are typical of the way craven judges have slavishly ''gone along' with social services in their quest to meet their adoption targets!Any common criminal faced witha possible 6 months prison or more can demand a trial by jury,so why cannot a mother have the same right when faced with a possible LIFE SENTENCE if her baby is taken for adoption?Juries must replace judges in adoption hearings NOW.

ian josephs, monte carlo, monaco

Children who have actually suffered significant physical harm at the hands of parents should be removed into care.Children who are said to have suffered emotional harm or worse still babies who incredibly are ''predicted'' to be at risk of emotional harm will suffer far more damage from being forcibly stolen from their parents by police and social workers than they ever would by leaving them with their families and giving their parents a bit of support.Juries would see the logic of this but establishment judges ignore it.Common criminals facing a possible sentence of 6 months or more have the right to insist on a trial by jury.When parents threatened by the loss of their precious children for life are afforded the same opportunity most of these shocking injustices will cease and babies will no longer be snatched at birth from mothers that have never caused them harm by over zealous social workers anxious to fulfill their adoption targets !

ian josephs, monte carlo, monaco

In 1995 I attended, via the Carter Commission, a series of meetings with the DCA and DfES at which the crisis in the Family Courts, Social Services and the Child Protection Industry were addressed. The focus was the huge increase in false allegations of child abuse in the last decade. Contrary to the assertions of "CP, Scotland" the problem of child harvesting from functioning families in order to meet adoption targets *was* recognized, at least by the DCA, along with related problems of bizarre theories of expert witnesses, false allegations of abuse in order to gain compensation from the CICB, and the incompetence of CAFCASS. Estimates of the extent of child harvesting for target-meeting were disputed but converged around a few thousand per year, a far cry from CP's claim that "No child is taken away purely to meet an adoption target". The current problem for the government is now financial in meeting claims for compensation for around 10000 children for loss of parents.

Roy Everett, Suffolk, UK

My children were taken into care a month ago due to suspected sexual abuse of my daughter (5) who was seen by a paediatrician who has misdiagnosed hundreds of children but continues to practice. We seem utterly powerless to get the children back even though a paediatric dermatologist has provided a full diagnosis for the redness which was said to be suggestive of sexual abuse. There is one threshold for taking away your children but a much higher one for getting them returned and there seems to be a disregard for any alternative explanations you put forward.

mum in pain, England, UK

I couldn't agree more.
I am so glad that another female, one who has the ear and eyes of The Times readership, has had the bravery to write this article.
In an attempt to bring about greater accountability for family law judges, I would ask readers to follow this link:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/OfJudge/

Many thanks,

Alison Halliwell, Wigan, UK

If parents are not permitted to "identify" children to gain advice during proceedings and the court articles are there to keep the identity of the child private then why do the same children appear in photo and written profile advertised for fostering on council websites within weeks, months, of Interim Care Orders being made?
We must protect the identity but only until it suits for advertising once all contact with birth parents has been legally severed.

June McC, Fermanagh, Ireland

To deny in any way the meaningful contact between a child and a parent either directly or by the promotion of ill feeling between the child and a parent should be considered as an abuse of the child and as such dealt with firmly by competent Judges. False allegations intended to interfere with the relationship between a child and a parent is also an abuse of a child and should be dealt with severely and as a serious criminal offence. This is a must if Family Courts are to be seen as anything other than being complicit in the act of child abuse, bearing in mind the emotional and psychological damage inflicted on the child concerned once in the hands of family law, CAFCASS Officers and Social Workers to whom the judge relies on 99.9% of the time as if an expert, this in itself is a travesty of justice and should be redressed accordingly for in no way should a Non expert have such power. National Society for Children and Family Contact.

Mike Ellis (NSCFC), Bideford, Devon

We complained about the lies and manipulation of ss in our case to the ombudsman. Even though she found our authority guilty of maladministration, serious failings and acting below the department of health guidelines she burried her findings by accepting a "local settlement" of £1000 from our authority. We did not agree to the settlement. Their actions destroyed our family and our family was pricelsss. There is no justice and they get away with their lies time and time again. We have been advised not to take the matter further as history shows the ombudsman always wins, and it would cost us thousands to do so.
What was my crime? - to ask for help for our son who was self-harming and missusing drugs. We have never abused our children - the only people to do that were the workers of "the care system." My son is still in emotional turmoil 3 years on, only now he does not belong to a family as they have poisoned him against us with their lies. E.g they told him we did not want him - LIE!

overprotectivemum, Sheffield,

I have a 14 year old daughter that is determined to keep speaking out about the abuse she recieved from medical staff at both royal free and U.C.L.H. She is determined to take legal action for the trauma she went through of the fear of losing her family and siblings. All the lies and changed documents by medical staff, we have proof of and is now in the hands of my lawyer here in Australia. With copies in various locations with people also ready to speak out about the corruption of human rights in the UK.

I am eternally thankful my rights were violated with in a month of stepping foot in the country and on looking into my rights and what to do I came across FASSIT and Ian Joseph's site "forced adoptiopns." My husband and I are well respected teachers and ran parenting classes before going to the UK.

All my friends in Australia and around the world are shocked as to what is going on over there and what happened to our family.

Utopia, Victoria, Australia

Secrecy is pernicious because, while there may be a basic parameter that imposed the condition, almost anything can subsequently occur under that blanket with an impunity which it would never have in conditions of public knowledge. I speak from a lengthy experience. Thus in this situation of the Family Courts, the general secrecy condition could be used to hide the fact that particular babies can be taken from parents without social standing, on some legal premise, for adoption by families with social standing needing such a child.

Henry Percy, London, UK

Secrecy is pernicious because, while there may be a basic parameter that imposed the condition, almost anything can subsequently occur under that blanket with an impunity which it would never have in conditions of public knowledge. I speak from a lengthy experience. Thus in this situation of the Family Courts, the general secrecy condition can be used to hide the fact that babies with particular qualities could be taken from parents without social standing, on the feeblest of excuses, for adoption by families with social standing needing such a child.

Henry Percy, London, UK

I too had to fight in court to have my own son following the death of my ex wife. It would seem that CAFCASS favour sister-in-laws being granted adoption rights to then have the CSA chase me for payment of care for my own son.

Thankfully the Human Rights Act was applied and court social workers (who are of course bias and only probation workers in disguise) recommendations were set aside and I now have my son .. but also a £7000 hole in my finances!

Francis Edwards, Leeds, West Yorkshire

"So where are the civil libertarians?" you ask...

The reason Shami Chakrabarti and her ilk are not screaming out about cases like these are that there is little likelihood of parents in the cases you mention managing to subvert Britain's institutions and structures. Liberty's hidden agenda is the same as the proclaimed agendas of the SWP and Militant in the 70's - destruction of capitalism and western ways. Children for adoption and issues like that are not useful Trojan horses - protection of terrorists and real criminals are.

John Tomlinson, Brentwood, UK

Am I alone in seeing the parallels with the scandal of a few years ago in Orkney?

Local authority social workers taking children away because in their warped zeal to do something that they forget whose lives they are destroying.

I do wonder whether the child taken from his or her mother might be able to sue the local authority and social worker,once he or she realises the truth and once Strasbourg has ruled that the seizure (kidnapping?) is inbreach of his or her human rights? I do hope so.

Mark, Brisbane,

Great Article once again -Problem is no ones listening – or sorry, one did listen, ‘Judge Munby’ and look what he done to the couple.

So where are the civil libertarians you ask? - lets see -Anybody who reads this affected by the issues will say ‘great’ but where do we go for help? Newspapers time and time again are very careful not to mention any organisation that could help with social services victims. Why?

If the Times thinks so strongly on the issue then why don't they start a open courrt campain

Layton Bevan, Neath, Wales

In public family law (when social workers and local authorities become the 'expert witnesses' and the real secrecy and abuse of power begins with 'professionals meetings') this is where the criminal activity begins. It is, in my experience, a criminal act of conspiracy to pervert justice, and to protect jobs. There are Adoption and Permanency Panels at councils' - these employees need work to do. Adoption quotas have to be filled. The whole thing IS a lottery. Social Services may go to the ends of the earth to say, support one disabled mother, or ex violent drug abuser, whilst others, such as myself, a mother of a disabled child, had an emotional breakdown after my mothers death, got into a state and requested help from social services, had I known then the collective howl of 'you asked the SS for help? YOUR FAULT' from parents in-the-know- well I'm sorry, I didn't believe all the 'nonsense' I'd heard about social workers. Now I know better, these judges dont disagree with the 'SS'

Elizabeth Robillard, london, England

We have to keep pushing this in the public eye - so good work again. This is an appalling abusive system. Children are being taken away without due dillegence being done which is damming. Worse are the mistakes, which are covered up and ignored by judges and social services who wash their hand of the distraught family. This attitude of 'we screwed up but tough you'll never be reunited' stands again all human treatment of people and any duty of responsibility to right wrongs.
It is indefensible to have a system condeming to be innocent (and knowingly at that) but still jailed for life.
This is not justice - not even close never mind the higher obligation to do right.

Ian, Stockport, Uk

Thanks to Camilla for revealing this scandal: we now have a politically correct equivalent to the Spanish Inquistion. What is outrageous is the total lack of political questioning and criticism - where are so called 'conservative' MPs, do they care? New Labour is clearly all about enforcing this new creed of political correctness, but are all the Tories now just colluding with all this rank injustice too?

Ibn, Haggerston, UK

Secrecy is the resort of totalitarians and the breeding ground for injustice and abuse of power. It has always been possible to operate open justice while at the same time seeking to minimise media publicity for vulnerable children. Decades of secrecy have destroyed public confidence and any social, legal and cultural credibility for this country's Family Law system. Worse still it has fooled the participants into believing that good intentions can justify stripping parents of their liberty, dignity, and human rights without any public scrutiny, debate, discussion or consideration. I fear that the real reckoning day will be when the child victims of this process seek explanation and revenge as sentient and angry adults. They may well feel entitled to justice, fairness and compensation for the consequences of subjective decisions that fundamentally warped their lives and denied them the essential pursuit of happiness.

Tim Crook, London, UK

For me, one Mary Whitehouse was more than enough in my lifetime.The great problem, and danger, with the interferers of this world is that they do genuinely believe that everything they do is altruistic and that, if only they had a free hand, everything would be for the best in the best of all possible worlds. The problem with this Panglossian mindset is that it is also shared by suicide bombers and revolutionaries. They too believe what they are doing is for the best. It’s just that in their case, thankfully, society takes a different view.

Bob Finbow, Haverhill, England

Total reform of the Family Courts System is needed sooner rather than later. There are many thousands of families suffering at the hands of Social Workers and Cafcass Officers and other ‘professionals’ who regularly commit perjury. They have no idea of the devastating effects of a forced separation of Mother and child causes.

The old chestnut 'No smoke without fire' is not always correct. Parents are regularly accused of criminal acts with no evidence and are left with no defence through the shroud of secrecy within the Family Courts. Sometimes is it the case that a family needs outside support, support is what they should receive until difficulties can be overcome. Instead bullying and threats are encountered from Social Services and Cafcass Officers.

In theory Children have Human Rights and their wishes and feelings are supposed to be taken into account, they rarely are. This leaves children in vulnerable and often dire circumstances.Who will pick the pieces up later?

Laura, London, Engalnd

The only way to publicise these Courts of the Inquisition and their Child-Catcher flunkies is to buy a web domain in, say, Uzbekistan, or some other remote place. Maybe the good old US of A, which guarantees free speech under the Consititution. Then put everything on the site: names, dates, 'judgements' etc. If everyone does it, how much bad publicity could the Courts/social workers take? They thrive in secrecy.
Another sinister aspect to the forcible removal and adoption of infants is presumably to take them before they are aware enough, and vocal enough, to have opinions of their own. Get them nice and young, they're much prettier and easier to adopt, and they can't say that they prefer their 'real' mummy and daddy.
On the other hand, has a child who was forcibly adopted ever sought legal redress as an adult?
Just a thought.
The Family Courts are a perversion of the British justice system and a scandal to any civilized country.

Sarah N., London,

Please make clear that this scandal is happening in the English Courts. The Scottish Childrens Hearing System would never allow this to happen, has safeguards to ensure the parents have substantial rights and is far fairer to families and children. As is usual the English legal system is an absolute shambles.

Gordon Robson, Ayr, Scotland

To CP of Scotland:

How are you so sure that only unworthy parents have their children removed? To know this, either you are a professional in the field (in which case you should have declared an interest at the start) or you have unauthorised access to personal details or court papers (in which case you might shortly be be in prison).

Again, who decides on worthiness? As a teacher I have had contact with numberless social workers, and (with a few noble exceptions) I would not rehome a puppy on their advice. Invariably they are theory-driven and have their own social/political agenda - not always the same, but clearly from the same stable - and almost invariably they have a conviction, unshakeable by the evidence or by their failures, that they are always right. The variety and complexity of the human condition pass them by.

Whether the training makes them so, or whether the profession attracts already manipulative and controlling people, I do not know. But I do not trust them

Michael Bruce, Selby, Yorkshire

The issue of protecting a child’s identity is overdone and merely an excuse for inaction. What matters is that justice is seen to prevail, something made impossible by courts being held in secret. There have been so many shameful miscarriages of justice involving the separation of children from their parents by overzealous officials that the continuing use of secret family courts is indefencible. In reality, the only protection given is to an often incompetent and negligent system from proper scrutiny; it’s long overdue for some daylight to be shed on the family courts.

Alan Johnson, Alton,

Immigration courts' judgements are also not properly written up for public scrutiny, for some reason, no doubt mainly to keep the public in the dark. Judges are generally falling fast in public estimation as people imposing unreasonable decisions often hurting society, with no sense of duties balancing rights, nor any sense of the changing contexts in which these are deployed. I suppose keeping up with all that shared 'red hot chilli' domestic staffing must be arduous for their lordships and take its toll on their intellectual, let alone moral, development....

Blackstone, Banbury, UK

my children and i have sufferd a similar SHAM judgment.i say my children they are adopted.family courts need to be open. i proved that so called profesionals lied in my case,and lied to the court.what was done??not a thing social services made a big deal about me reporting a theft to the police that one of their own commited.the social worker involved lied in court about this and it was only when a recording i had made,was transcribed. that it was proved this worker had in fact commited theft and lied to the court.why did the judge not take this matter further?he was willing to listen to might,s and coulds about me.THE FAMILY COURTS in this country are way from just.THEY ROB CHILDREN AND PARENTS OF THE RIGHT TO FAMILY LIFE.THEY LET SOCIAL SERVICES/CAFCASS GET AWAY WITH SO MUCH CHILD ABUSE IT IS A CRIME TO EVERY LAST MAN WOMAN AND CHILD IN THIS COUNTRY. the worst part in all of this sham court systom is IT COULD BE YOU NEXT

andrew tindale, hartlepool,

Total reform of the Family Courts System is needed sooner rather than later. There are many thousands of families suffering at the hands of Social Workers and Cafcass Officers and other ‘professionals’ who regularly commit perjury. They have no idea of the devastating effects of a forced separation of Mother and child causes.

The old chestnut 'No smoke without fire' is not always correct. Parents are regularly accused of criminal acts with no evidence and are left with no defence through the shroud of secrecy within the Family Courts. Sometimes is it the case that a family needs outside support, support is what they should receive until difficulties can be overcome. Instead bullying and threats are encountered from Social Services and Cafcass Officers.

In theory Children have Human Rights and their wishes and feelings are supposed to be taken into account, they rarely are. This leaves children in vulnerable and often dire circumstances. Who will pick the pieces up later on?

Laura, London, Engalnd

Thank you Camilla.
I feel we need to go much further in bringing all the truth of the secret family courts to light.
Why are the media so scared to bring the truth out??
If hundreds of people are going to prison for speaking truth and the media sit back with zipped lips- then I ask the question- are we in a democratic country or not??
All it takes is for all papers and TV, etc to get together and release the truth.
Who is controlling the media then if this is continuing for so long now.
It is a follow on from the dark ages of the elite deciding the fate of the poor and weak and vulnerable.
It is also the way the government training of social workers to see abuse everywhere like in the Cleveland case after an overzealous Evangelist pressed a panic button to say there was abuse everywhere and of course- once the seed was planted in the mind- the process began.
Childless couples used to be able to get free children from unmarried mothers, now the state steals to satisfy them.

Catherine, Manchester, uk

CP, Scotland,

You have never been involved in these secret gestapo courts then.

However, you will be glad to know now then that adopters want middle class children with good parentage for the social experiment to work properly.

I know social workers who say that adopters no longer want druggie babies.

In fact the system is selecting a particular type of child that I doubt you would be light enough to understand by the sound of your closed mind.

I am a professional and my crime -as a bad parent -was to leave a violent partner before the violence got bad and the children affected in any way.

When I refused to go back and obey, the children were to be taken into care and I go to prison.

As the old saying goes- unless you have walked in the shoes of another- judge not.

I used to be like you and believe the system was doing the right thing.

But, inside the secret courts is another world of 1950's or even before.
This system is about controlling women and children

Portia, Dublin, Eire

There but for the grace of God, as they say.

And "targets" again. Always stupid targets. Can these idiots really not see the damage that target-based management *always* causes in that any unscrupulous manager (which is most of them) will always work the system to meet the letter of the target but usually at the cost of its intention? Can they really not see this? Or do they see but simply not care as all they're interested in is favourable looking "statistics" with which to defend their record?

Stupid or selfish. Either way it speaks volumes.

Phil, Sevenoaks, UK

' A zealous pursuit of babies..', but you don't back this up with any evidence. It's an extraordinary charge, spoiling a discussion about an issue that really does need examining. This article is I'm afraid reminiscent of so many articles about the family courts. They tend to be written by someone who has had their ear bent by someone who is the victim of a perceived injustice, who then goes on to make massive generalisations about the system as a result. At least this time however Camilla should get some credit for expanding her research beyond little more than the Fathers For Justice website.

alex, manchester, uk

You make a good case for opening up the family courts to public scrutiny. However, your comment that people (presumably mostly mothers) are being sent to jail for "minor breaches of contact orders" is probably not borne out by the facts. I say "probably" because we don't know for sure, as the judgments of these courts are - as you say - generally not made public. But, in my case (and I know of many others like me), the contact orders awarded granting my daughter contact with me were breached on many occasions and the courts kneejerk reaction again and again was to reduce contact. Jailing the mother was never a serious option. I gave up getting contact orders because they are worthless.

On ending the secrecy in family courts, though, I'm with you 100%.

Glenn, Oxford, UK

May the truth shine through. The secrecy within the family courts is breeding public contempt for the law and the perception that justice in these courts is not being served.

It is possible to make all procedures in these 'very secret courts' transparent and open to public scrutiny without compromising the identity of children and families.

Darnthesafetynet, London , W11 1NR

Please keep writing about this. I hope that one day we will look back in horror at what the family courts used to be. To me it seems an anachronism - almost akin to the days of unmarried women being forced to give up their chidren, or even committed to asylums.
Your persistence in exposing the horrors of this system is fantastic. I can only hope that the Times realises that even those readers unaffected by the family courts need to know how rotten the system is, and help bring it to an end.

JB, London UK,

Truly a campaign worthy of support. Reminds one of the "Child Migrants" that the British government so callously shipped to Australia, often falsely telling the children that they had no living relatives in the UK and going one step further and telling parents that their children had died in care.

Presumably parents whose children have been taken away for adoption don't have the right to call for an investigation into their death so should we be looking out for that "strategy" next perhaps?

Are there any charity/campaign groups one can donate either time or money to?

Bob, Reading,

There is no smoke without fire. The social care agencies face an impossible task and individuals unsuited for parenthood continue to procreate with no thought to the welfare of the child they produce. In this situation let the benefit of the doubt rest with the professionals.

No child is taken away purely to meet an adoption target, that is a total distortion of the truth. Let's accept that the majority of children who are taken away are done so for good and proper reasons and with their best interests at heart. In my (more extensive than average) experience of social workers I have yet to meet one who is keen to seperate a child and his parent for no good reason.

If your child is taken away, you, your lifestyle or your acquaintances are not suitable for raising children. And remember, all of those things can be changed.

CP, Scotland,

Mr Justice Munby "talks a good talk", but he never takes any remedial action in the cases that come before him in our experience.

In effect, he just moans (very eloquently) about the failed family justice system without facing up to the fact that he and his fellow judges have the power and "unfettered discretion" to do something meaningful to help the children and families concerned.

Tony Coe, President, EQUAL PARENTING COUNCIL

Tony Coe, London, UK

Keep it up, Camilla; you're doing an incredibly important work for justice on this issue. Your analysis of the three difficult to reconcile jobs the social services have to perform is particularly pertinent.

John, Birmingham, UK

Family Law in the UK is nothing short of disasterous. Because of its arrogance and reliance on paid experts instead of factual evidence, it brings not only the courts but the whole social care infrastructure into disrepute.

There is a good reason why justice must be seen to be done, and nowhere is it clearer than in the furtive machinations of these shadowy and unaccountable apparatchiks.

rickh, Horley, Surrey

The secrecy laws in family law - merely ensure that the wholly inept and discriminatory system flourishes unchallenged.

Family Law (whether the public or private cases) is failing our children, failing parents and failing this country.

Secrecy makes it impossible for the judges and others within the system to be scrutinised and held to account for their appalling daily actions.

Jeff, Addlestone, UK

BRAVO.....one can only admire you for your guts and determination on this subject.....
so much within the realms of child protection and the family courts need exposing. so many children are taken in the name of adoption targets, i myself shall be fighting with all i have quite soon to keep my child with me.
im innocent of course but my chances behind the closed doors of courtroom are not good. it will destroy me camilla... but im so grateful to people such as yourself that keep scratching the surface of the corruption we know exists .....may the truth shine through....

justa mum, manchester, uk

I feel for all children of the UK. One does not need to go into extreme cases such as the one mentioned above to understand the outrageous situation regarding child custody,access...
I wasted nearly 10 years of my life mourning on my lost daughter which after wasting thousand of pounds in British courtsdid not get me nearer her.
Now 15, I met her this year in New Zealand after much detective work and again at great cost.
Thank God I had the money and being indomitable to get through those ghastly years.
Surely the great people of GB will do something about it, otherwise I can only foresee misery for the children of this great country.

Sophia Staub, Tamarin, Mauritius,