Gagging Orders in Secret Family Courts

Our reference: 1626 FOI
 
Dear Mrs Doocherty
 
Thank you for your request of 13 October 2009 in which you asked 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.

Your request is being considered and Oxfordshire County Council will
respond as soon as possible within the next 20 working days in compliance
with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This means that the council
will send a response to you by 10 November 2009.

 
There may be a fee payable for this information. You will be informed if
this is the case and you can decide if you wish to proceed with your
request.

 
If appropriate, the information requested can be made available in
alternative formats, including other languages, Braille, large print, and
audiocassette. If you require any of these formats then please let me
know.

 
Please contact me if you have any have further enquiries about your
request. I would be grateful if you could quote the reference number
given at the top of this email.

 
Yours sincerely,

Michele Cooke
Complaints & Information Support Officer

Oxfordshire County Council
Legal & Democratic Services
Complaints & Freedom of Information Team
County Hall
New Road
Oxford
OX1 1ND

Tel: 01865 815906
Fax: 01865 783195
[email address]

[1]www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

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Our reference: 1626 FOI

Dear Mrs Docherty
 
Thank you for your request of 13 October 2009 in which you asked 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.

In relation to proceedings relating to children there are statutory
provisions protecting them from being identified . Those provisions
prohibit the publication of information relating to the proceedings
without the express authority of the court.

The Local Authority has on 2 occasions sought an injunction prohibiting
the press from publishing information arising out of criminal proceedings,
which might identify particular children or where they are living, in
order to protect them from the consequences of such publication

No such action has ever been taken in relation to a parent or carer.

Feedback

If you would like to feed back to the FOI Team, please email
[1][Oxfordshire County Council request email].

Help Us To get It Right

If you are dissatisfied with the service or response you have received you
can complain as follows:
 
o Use the online complaints form on our website -
[2]www.oxfordshire.gov.uk;
 
o Complete the leaflet "How do I complain about a council service?".
Copies are available from any Oxfordshire library or by telephoning 01865
815906. Large print and audio tape versions are available on request from
this number;

 
o Write to us at our FREEPOST address:

Complaints and Comments
Oxfordshire County Council
FREEPOST (SCE 7709)
Oxford OX1 1YA.
 
Please let me know if you have further enquiries. I would be grateful if
you could use the reference number given at the top of this email.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Rowan
Complaints & Freedom of Information Officer

Oxfordshire County Council
Legal & Democratic Services
Complaints & Freedom of Information Team
County Hall
New Road
Oxford
OX1 1ND

Tel: 01865 816395
Fax: 01865 783195
Email: [email address]
Email: [Oxfordshire County Council request email] (for FOI requests)
Email: [email address] (for complaints)
Internet: [3]www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/emaildiscl...

References

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2. file://../3.04%20Information%20requests/3.16.02%20Requests%202006/Local%20Settings/3.16.02.08%20Requests%20August%202006/FOI%20344/www.oxfordshire.gov.uk
3. file://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk