what have Fathers 4 Justice achieved?

[MuhammadMuslim]

Hi, this is for my as level politics presentation, our aim is to do a presentation of a pressure group of our choice, my team have decided to do fathers 4 justice in the UK. We need to find the aims, methods and achievements. my part is the achievements which seems to be the hardest. i cant find much on the net. does anyone know what successes fathers 4 justice have had, what have they achieved or accomplished and if possible could you give me your source. thanks. help will be much appreciated.

[Nick Langford]

Hi, have you downloaded our documents which are free from our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Fathers4Justice)? You can download our Family Justice on Trial document which sets out what we believe to be wrong with the system and our Blueprint which outlines our solution.

To answer your question more specifically, we believe we have prompted a national and political debate which would not otherwise have happened. The reason fathers' rights have become so widely discussed in this country and abroad is, we believe, down to our campaign. The problems of family breakdown and the role played by the state and by the welfare system in subsidising family breakdown, the problems suffered by children in maintaining contact with their fathers simply weren't being discussed prior to 2002.

We can also point to the role played by members of F4J such as Michael Pelling in forcing courts to accept the wider use of McKenzie Friends and in enabling McKenzie Friends to have right of audience in the courts. Changes to legislation such as the Children and Adoption Act 2006 are also sometimes attributed to F4J.

You could also argue that we have helped many fathers (and some mothers) in their family court applications, we have helped them win the contact they are after, and we may even have saved some fathers from suicide.

By engaging with politicians, lawyers, judges and other professionals we have challenged their beliefs and encouraged them to rethink their preconceptions.

Do get in touch through Facebook if you want more information.