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Gagging Orders in Secret Family Courts

Mrs Docherty (Account suspended) made this Freedom of Information request to Conwy County Borough Council

The request was successful.

From: Mrs Docherty (Account suspended)

13 October 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

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.

Yours faithfully,

Mrs Docherty

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From: Info Regs Unit
Conwy County Borough Council

29 October 2009

Unit FOI 916-09

Dear Mrs Docherty

This authority has not instigated any gagging orders against any
individuals and/or organisations to stop them from speaking out about
injustices they may have suffered at the hands of the council children's
social services and secret family courts.

However if by 'gagging orders' you actually mean 'injunctions' then you
are advised of the following against each of your question areas;

a) only one injunction on record to prevent media publicity regarding a
child protection issue.
b) n/a.
c) Head of Legal Services.
d) n/a.
e) yes.
f) no.

If for whatever reason you are unhappy with the response please contact
us direct by e-mail or by post addressed to Conwy County Borough
Council, Information Regulations Unit, Bodlondeb, Conwy, LL32 8DU.

Uned Reoliadau Gwybodaeth/Information Regulations Unit
Cyngor Bwrdeistef Sirol CONWY County Borough Council
E-Bost / E-Mail: [Conwy Council request email]

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Steve Hunt left an annotation (29 October 2009)

The Council HAVE tried to gag a local man though to not speak out about a £1,000 bribe they offered him to pull out of a property deal so the Council could buy the property instead... here is a link to the story published in the Newspapers today: http://www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk/co... if you would like copies of the emails the Council sent to the man in question, let me know and I'll send them to you!

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Will left an annotation (30 October 2009)

This sounds very serious indeed, could I have a copy of the emails please. My email address is will.r@tesco.net
Cheers.

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Steve Hunt left an annotation (30 October 2009)

Will, this is indeed very serious, corruption proven at the very highest levels of the Council yet again. Having sought legal advice, I have decided not to send out full copies of the emails, since the email headers contain obviously the private names of the individuals concerned, which is a potential data protection issue. The actual content of the emails, however, I consider the public has a right of access to, since the Council are mere public servants and EVERYTHING they do, they should be accountable for to us, the taxpayers. Therefore, I refer you to Cllr John Oddy's website here http://www.voicesofcolwynbay.blogspot.com/ which has full copies of the content of the emails, plus further details of an investigation that is to take place. Read together with the article published in the newspaper yesterday - as linked above - you get a pretty good idea of what is going on.

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