The Children Act—a judge replies

In March, two of our contributors stated with some vigour that the Children Act was failing those severely abused orand neglected children.1-1 This is a grave allegation to make against the law which governs how the courts protect children. We were not surprised, therefore, to receive an equally forthright rebuttal from a senior judge (page 463)—more particularly since she had been the Law Commissioner responsible for the reforms in family law, of which the Children Act was a key part. We hope readers from outside the jurisdiction will also find the dialogue useful as it raises matters of principle beyond that of the specific item of legislation under contention. Key messages are that social workers lack resources and support; families should not be separated without due process of law; legal proceedings must move faster; and adoption procedures need improving. Drs Wynne and Speight, authors of the original polemic, add that we need a lobby for the rights of abused children …