Australian family law courts ‘worse than cancer’
The conduct of some family court judges, lawyers and child protection workers have been slammed in a scathing inquiry that has raised “serious concerns” over the system.

JUDGES have been accused of incompetence, bias, sexism and putting children in harm’s way, in a jaw-dropping official dossier which claims Australia’s divorce courts are more distressing than dying of cancer.
The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) has raised “serious concerns’’ over the conduct of some judges, lawyers and child protection workers, in an extraordinary showdown with the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court.

The ALRC released a scathing summary of 732 public complaints lodged during its 18-month inquiry into family law — including a terminal cancer patient’s declaration that the illness was less “distressing’’ than going through the Family Court.

“Many report that their engagement with the family law system ‘ruined their life’, leaving them financially destitute and alienated from their children,’’ the new ALRC document states.

“(Complaints are that) the system encourages parents to lie and creates conflict where none previously existed.

“(It) is expensive and slow; significant delays and multiple court dates affect (the) welfare of children and their carers.’’

Continue reading http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/news-story/16fd82641e8ba4f501025205ccc8894e

Until there is a Royal Commission and perpetrators of crimes against children and parents and families are named, shamed and brought to justice the stain of this cancer remains on our collective conscience.