Family Law

Sir Bob Geldof has written about his "deep rage for our Family Courts and the inadequate practitioners that work within it" in a forward for The Custody Minefield's report, Relocation and Leave to Remove.

The report by The Custody Minefield, an information website for separating parents, brings together findings from several studies on the effects of separating children from their non-resident parent. The report includes research on the effects of relocated children's psychological well-being, educational development and the benefits of shared parenting.

In his distinctive provocative manner, Sir Bob Geldof wrote: "In the near future the Family Law under which we endure will be seen as barbaric, criminally damaging, abusive, neglectful, harmful to society, the family, the parents and the children in whose name it purports to act. It is beyond scrutiny or criticism and like a secret society its members - the judges, lawyers, social and child "care" agencies behave like any closed vested interest and protect each others' backs.

The former lead singer of the Boomtown Rats and Live Aid concert organiser continued: "The court is entirely informed by outdated social engineering models and contemporary attitudes rather than fact, precedent rather than common sense and modish unproven nostrums rather than present day realities. It is a disgraceful mess. A farrago of cod professionalism and faux concern largely predicated on nonsensical social guff, mumbo-jumbo and psycho-babble. Dangling at the other end of this are the lives of thousands of British children and their families."

"How much longer must we put up with the state sanctioned kidnap of our most vulnerable? Because in effect that's what "Leave to Remove" amounts to. How much longer do we tolerate the vested interest intransigence of the appalling U.K. Family Justice system? How long before just one of them admit they have got it ALL wrong and apologise to their myriad victims?"

He concluded: "This report is important, timely and vital. To accept its findings, which could have and should have, been conducted at any time in the past 30 years, is to accept the awful conclusion that rather than Solomon like resolving our tragically human disputes with understanding, compassion and logical pragmatism the courts have consistently acted against society's interest through the application of prejudice, gender bias and awful impartial cruelty. This report proves it. May God forgive them. I won't."

To download a copy of the report, click here.