Gagging Orders in Secret Family Courts

Mrs Docherty (Account suspended) made this Freedom of Information request to Colwyn Bay Town Council / Cyngor Tref Bae Colwyn

Colwyn Bay Town Council / Cyngor Tref Bae Colwyn did not have the information requested.

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: Mrs Docherty (Account suspended)

11 November 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

This request is overdue a response. By law, Colwyn Bay Town Council
/ Cyngor Tref Bae Colwyn should normally have answered by 10
November 2009.

Yours faithfully,

Mrs Docherty

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From: Bay of Colwyn Town Council
Colwyn Bay Town Council / Cyngor Tref Bae Colwyn

11 November 2009

Dear Madam

I have been advised by the Information Commissioner's Office that Section 8
(1)(b) of the F.O.I. Act states that an application for information must
include the person's real name and address for correspondence.

Both a valid postal address (including a PO Box address) and a 'personal'
email address are acceptable but not a website/forum address.

Therefore, I would be grateful if you would provide me with a suitable
contact address.

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2006, the Council may make a charge to
recover the costs on the following headings, printing, copying and postage.
A copy of these charges is available on request.

I trust that this clarifies the situation.

Bay of Colwyn Town Council

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Steve Hunt left an annotation (11 November 2009)

This is rubbish - applications for information under the FOIA should be considered "applicant blind" - that is to say it should not, and does not, matter who asks for the information, information is information and should be provided AS HELD, not altered to suit whoever has asked for it.
The matter has been taken up with the relevant bodies, and I suggest you read carefully this thread http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/nu...
Anyone is entitled, by law, to call themselves whatever they wish. Furthermore, an email address is as good as a physical post box address, as has already been ruled.
Hope that helps - don't give in!

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Steve Hunt left an annotation (11 November 2009)

Also see Alex Skene's comment and link on this thread: http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/pl...

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Steve Hunt left an annotation ( 3 December 2009)

Looks like Colwyn Town Council don't want the truth to get out... they'll end up with a reputation like Conwy County Borough Council at this rate...

(not surprising when you consider how many Town Councillors are ALSO screwing a full time wage AND expenses out of CCBC as County Councillors too!)

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Francis Irving left an annotation (17 December 2009)

I have written to the Council explaining that a WhatDoTheyKnow email is valid under the law and ICO guidance, as follows:

--------------------------------------------------

Hi,

It has come to my attention that you believe an email address from
requests sent via the WhatDoTheyKnow website is not a valid address
for correspondence under the Freedom of Information Act.

"Both a valid postal address (including a PO Box address) and a
'personal' email address are acceptable but not a website/forum
address."

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ga...

This issue came up over a year ago in relation to Rother District
Council, who took a similar (but slightly different) view to you.
However, the Information Commissioner disagreed, and wrote them a
letter explaining.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/11...

It is clear from that letter that not only is an email address a valid
address for correspondence, but an email address to the WhatDoTheyKnow
website is also.

There is nothing either in the law or in Information Commission
guidance which distinguishes between a "'personal' email address" and
a "website/forum email address".

I would be grateful if you could reply to the above FOI request with a
full response, as you normally would.

Francis
WhatDoTheyKnow

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From: Bay of Colwyn Town Council
Colwyn Bay Town Council / Cyngor Tref Bae Colwyn

21 December 2009

The Town Council cannot provide any information regarding children in care
as it has no statutory power with regard to the care of children and the
Family Courts.

I would suggest that you address the relevant Unitary Authority which has
the said statutory power and might be able to assist you with your enquiry.

Bay of Colwyn Town Council

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Things to do with this request

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