Gagging Orders in Secret Family Courts

Mrs Docherty (Account suspended) made this Freedom of Information request to Scottish Borders Council

This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

Scottish Borders Council did not have the information requested.

Mrs Docherty (Account suspended)

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

Broom, Doreen,

Dear Mrs Docherty

I acknowledge receipt of your request for information under the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act 2002 relating to the above. The Council shall
of course respond within the 20 working day period.

Yours sincerely

Doreen Broom

Access to Information Officer

Scottish Borders Council

Corporate Resources - Corporate Administration

Tel: 01835 826516

e-mail: [1][email address]

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References

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Mrs Docherty (Account suspended)

Dear Doreen Broom,

This request is overdue a response. By law, Scottish Borders Council should normally have answered by 10 November 2009.

Yours faithfully,

Mrs Docherty

Broom, Doreen,

Dear Mrs Docherty

Please accept my apologies for the delay. I have chased this up with the COuncil's Social Work Department and hope to get back to you soon.

Yours sincerely

Doreen Broom
Access to Information Officer
Scottish Borders Council
Corporate Resources - Corporate Administration
Tel: 01835 826516
e-mail: [email address]

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Broom, Doreen,

Dear Mrs Docherty

Further to you request for information under the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002 relating to the above I can now respond.

Scottish Borders Council have never had any Secret Family Courts or
Gagging Orders. This is apparently part of the English system and we do
not have anything similar in Scotland. As we do not hold this information
it is exempt under Section 17 of FOISA.

I have to advise that if you are not happy with the Council's response
then you have a right to request a review within 40 working days of
receipt of this e-mail. You should either e-mail
[1][email address] or write to the Access to Information
Officer, Scottish Borders Council, Council HQ, Newtown St.Boswells TD6
0SA.

Yours sincerely

Doreen Broom

Access to Information Officer

Scottish Borders Council

Corporate Resources - Corporate Administration

Tel: 01835 826516

e-mail: [2][email address]

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]

Michael Traill left an annotation ()

This is an issue that keeps cropping up.

People not realising there are lots of differences in law, practice etc; between authorities in England and in Scotland.

Time is spent by people dealing with FOI requests which are NOT valid. Their time could be better spent on dealing with valid FOI requests.