Date: 23/10/2009

Dear Mrs Docherty

Re: Freedom of Information request number 1445

Thank you for your request for the following information:

In the wake of the people speaking out against the abuses of the

secret family courts and forced adoption of children to strangers,

instead of being retained within their real natural families. I

would like to know how your authority compares to others in

fulfilling your responsibilities to families & their children.

(a) How many individuals have been taken to court by your authority

in-order to gag them. To stop them from speaking out about the

injustices they have suffered at the hands of the council

children's social services and secret family courts. Provide all

records to-date that are held.

(b) How much did these gagging order injunctions cost the rate

payer.

(c) Who is responsible for actioning these enforcement orders by

the council, i.e. who signs the applications for court.

(d) How many parents /relatives/individuals have received further

sanctions for breaking these gagging orders.

(e) Are any of these decisions to gag/sanction taken by unelected

local authority officers responsible for children's social care,

finance, legal or any other relevant department.

(f) If councillors make these decisions at which meeting(s) are

these discussed.

The information below has been supplied in response to your request for the

above mentioned information. We hope the information supplied satisfies your original request.

I can confirm that Thurrock Council have no gagging orders in place. However, if we did then we would be equally bound by the order to not discuss the case and its contents.

Any application for a "gagging order" within family/care proceedings would be made within the case before the court and would be dependant on the individual facts of the case. The application would be made by the Director of Children's Services having regard to all the circumstances and taking legal advice.

It would be for the court to decide whether to make the order either having heard from all parties (on notice) or receiving evidence from the applicant (ex parte) - if the application is ex parte then there would be a return date where all parties could make representations as to whether the order should remain.

What sanctions are applied by the court for a breach of any order would be the decisions of the court not the local authority.

Councillors would not be involved in the decision making process as the Children Act states that is the Director of Social Services who makes an application for a care order and any application for any orders within those proceedings.

If you are unhappy with the Council's response you can make a complaint via the

Council's complaints procedures and this will be looked into. If you are not happy with

this decision you may then appeal to the Information Commissioner.

Information supplied in response to your request is the copyright of Thurrock Council.

The information has been supplied for your personal use. Except for permitted acts

under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, the information supplied may not

be copied, distributed, published, or exploited for commercial purposes or financial gain

without the explicit written consent of Thurrock Council.

Yours faithfully

Lee Henley

Freedom of Information Coordinator

Telephone (01375) 652500

Macro FOI.Supplied.letter

Macro FOI.Supplied.letter