It’s been a hectic year for just about everyone we know, and we’ve felt the manic wave of work sweep over us too, which at times has meant that we’ve had to put some projects on the back burner, like the series we promised we’d write way back in January but never had the chance to finish. Well, not any more.
Our series, which we’re calling “Children In The Vine” and the name for which we have to thank one of our mentors for, as it came about after a long discussion on the subject (and stems, pardon the pun, from the plant Smilax australis, otherwise known as Lawyer Vine), will be a serial drama about children, parents and voluntary advocates in the family justice system.
It is a serial about the love, hate, anger, panic, occasional joy, dark humour, professional dedication and professional controversy at the heart of the family justice system. The stories feature an organisation of McKenzie Friends – lay advocates who help clients who are representing themselves in legal cases.
The dramas feature cases about public family law (where a public body like a local authority is involved in arranging the care of children), and private family law (disputes between parents, especially over children) .
The cases are controversial and life changing for the families.
McKenzie Friends are a relatively new phenomenon inside the legal system but over the last few years their presence has increased significantly. Today they sit uncomfortably in the court system with fee charging lawyers who sometimes view them as potential competition. But as the legal aid cuts impact on the family justice system and the economy worsens, the small office becomes inundated with requests for assistance. The team of four have to learn to cope with the increase in work and an unforgiving system which makes it almost impossible to resolve issues conventionally.
The team begin to resort to unconventional methods to get to the bottom of the cases they’re given.
Each McKenzie Friend has their own style of working through cases and their own personal motivations for getting involved, stemming from personal experience with the system. They work with limited resources which they share with each other. They learn on the job.
But the team find help and support in the most unusual places. Rogue journalists, renegade MPs and family lawyers come in and out of the agency’s life to help them solve their cases and help the families and children they work with.
This is a story about the next generation of lawyers, who work with the spirit of law as it was intended. Often discriminated against in the court system for not having legal qualifications they slowly infiltrate the system and expose corruption and malpractice as they try to help the families who come to them because they have nowhere left to go.
We hope you enjoy this series.
” Often discriminated against in the court system for not having legal qualifications” and for not having to swear allegiance to anyone in the power pyramid . In ancient times it was such “breitheamhs” who made sure justice was seen, to be done.
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Am I missing something apart from great advert for Mckensie’s – thought provoking – promising, just as it did in January – but no content still – lets hear from these so called Mckensie’s – as clearly they feel belittled by a self protecting self serving system – but Natasha where is the content?
All that have touched or felt the system or even supported in the “Mckensie” role no to well that equality of arms in an unfair and ill justice system that has no right to true justice by mercy and right knows the reality of the Courts of In justice in this very land, including the cosetted legal system that relies on the cosy arrangements within the proceedure and lack of equality of arms – entitled to a hearing but often not heard!!
Is that the true views of Mckensie’s can not be aired?
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Dear Stephen, if you read the post you will see that we have been prioritising other things throughout the year, like working on pro bono cases, which I think, you are aware of. For us, families and their cases come first. And if we get inundated with more cases, (which we have this week, with no less than eight new referrals in the last 48 hours), and we cannot keep writing the story due to lack f time, we will halt the series and continue to work on the cases.
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Seek and rely on those that give Sound written and guided advice and written opinions are helpful if sought and when and if rec’d in supportive circumstances and timely, For those pondering steps forward in any process we all need that support and clear opinions within the brief given, which must be clear and agreed and followed though. One thing I have learnt is keep confidence in those that support and stay the course, support those as best one can but beware of those with own agenda’s and research the good intentions offered. Expectations in those that earn your confidence must see it though, as too many shy away without realising the need of those opinions.
LIP’s keep your own counsel and decision making and be consistent, even when trying to understand the Legal system, it can dumbfound the best of us Its there to frustrate rather than create make solutions. After all once in the Family Court washing machine – your creditabilty is in for a shocking and never forgotten experience.
Your entittlement only a judgement – get it right at lower court as corrections thereafter impossible. Get your opinions early enough – no good once the lower court has set the cycle going. Sadly for most the intial meeting with lower court is after the damaging legal support system has probably done its worst – most sadly do not know of a mckensie friend and the independence that may give you.
Natasha — it is therefore imperative you spread the word to those that have yet to meet the system. We the converted or seen the injustice in the system already known.
To all that give advice as Mckensie or lay advisors – get the files and evidence with chronolgy =, be frank with advice even though a magic wand is expected but then give the advice requested and follow through as someone is or maybe relying on it, even when knowing he she already has some support – its for the person as LIP to sift the advice and make decisions accordingly after all it his her family. To often those Qualified Lawyers have sat on a fence – for whatever reason prior.
There are to many sadly giving advice – but rarely follow though.
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Mckenzie friends, although having no real legal status and perhaps their best role is just sitting by whoever comes under the scrutiny of sometimes evil courts,as I did, to witness the utter devastating farce sometimes played out in the guise of justice, as i witnessed as a Mckenzie friend for 4 days out of the 5 day hearing for the Musa parents at the RCJ last year. What i witnessed in that top court at the time for the 5 day hearing needs an honest enquiry far removed from any parties involved at the time – as a baby was taken from this good family on the basis of very questionable evidence. Similarly, months later, the parents, who had now lost 6 children and were about to lose a 7th, were sentenced to 7 years – for something they hadnt done, based on the “balance of probabilities” result given, as i say, after the 5 day hearing. This trial too, taking 6 weeks, was riddled with irregulatities too. All in all, a terrible day for British justice when 7 children are removed, and the parents receive 7 years for no reason whatsoever, based mainly on untruths and irregularities. Please see Christopher Bookers numerous “Sunday Telegraph” articles beginning in early 2010 and continuing up till 2 weeks ago for the basic facts.
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Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
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stockholm syndrom, stop defathering, divorce is child abuse and parent-family alienation to begin with, asif in their interest children’s human right on normal familylife is systemically being violated, the divorcing parent is obvious unfit and paradoxical has to be removed from child(ren)&family at once, to reunite asap after being deprogrammed&healed e.g. from femini$$m and-or any other mindillness.
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