Henry Kha writes in The Conversation (28.10.19) that there have already been two recent inquires into the family court, but none of their recommendations have yet been rolled out.
‘Senator Pauline Hanson has recently argued fathers get a raw deal from the family court, saying mothers often make up accusations of family violence to deny fathers contact with their children. These unsupported claims perpetuate a form of victim blaming and may make women who have experienced family violence reluctant to speak out for fear of being disbelieved.
‘Yet this seems to be what’s pushing the latest parliamentary inquiry into family courts, of which Hanson is deputy chair.
‘It is, in fact, extremely rare for fathers to be denied contact with their children. This only happened in 3% of all court orders in 2014.
‘What’s more, there have already been two recent inquiries into family law, one ending as recent as April this year from the Australian Law Reform Commission. But the government has so far not implemented any of their combined 93 recommendations.
‘So while Hanson’s claims are wrong, there are still major issues the family court needs to fix to make sure the best interests of the child are promoted and victims of family violence are better protected.’
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