General Chat

It is a sobering thought that secret court hearings are taking place and that they will probably be used more often in the future. The provisions for these are contained in the Justice and Security Act 2013 which received Royal Assent yesterday :-|

We have had several situations where governments have tried to influence the running of the courts, the more I read, the more the TV programme Judge John Deed, becomes more realistic :-|

When you add to that, government efforts to control the freedom of the press, and the proposed "Snoopers Charter" that would allow the authorities to have access to everyone's internet activities, e-mails, and phone records, the word "Totalitarianism" comes to mind :-|

The government is against surrendering more and more powers to Europe, I am against surrendering more and more power to the government. To do so lessens our already diminished democratic accountability and could lead to the state controlling our lives in even more ways than they do at present :-|

I think it was George Orwell who said "Big Brother is watching you"

Benjamin Franklin said :-

"If you surrender you freedom for security you have neither freedom nor security"

and

"Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved"

It is appalling. How did it get to that stage? Having worked in care until I retired I know what a minefield situations similar to this can be.

Getting the balance right between what the family want and what professionals think is right can be a lot of hard work.

Communication is always the way forward and it seems to have failed miserably on this (and as Muffy says possibly other) occasions.

I find it spine chilling and shocking...and if some get their way the papers won't even be able to report it even six months after the fact either......

Where were all the human rights lawyers in this case?

This act was created in 2005 and I wonder just how many others this has happened to that we don't know about ...

Needs looking at and FAST.

:-0 :-0 :-0

There is this belief now that if you are a qualified social worker or doctor you know more than nearest and dearest. We parents know only too well that is not true. Their job is to give advice, I would have thought. If family reject that advice, then family wishes should usually override the "experts".

Poor woman - being set on in prison just adds to her woes. It is happening all the time. Social workers get frequent criticism for not doing enough, but in these "love" cases involving family, they should simply be expected to give advice and then butt out imo.

heard it mention by portillo on tv las tnight


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2314346/Agony-woman-jailed-secret-Daughter-locked-trying-save-father-care-home-tells-terrifying-police-swoop.html

what happened to being tried first