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| Att.Gen, Mike de Jong (Steve Bosch photo) |
I particularly want you to listen to some key phrases by Attorney General Mike de Jong as he explains the rationale for the significant changes being proposed in this historic reform of a thirty year old Family Relations Act. He said, “We have family law built around a very adversarial model and we think there is a better way — when a family changes or when a relationship comes apart — there is a better way to resolve some of those issues than rushing off to court,” said de Jong. Further to this he remarked, “We will always need the court, but we do not need a system that is primarily an adversarial system.”
I grant that the Family Relations Act and the Child, Family and Community Services Act address different issues, yet the latter is written with a similar adversarial model framework. Would you support, welcome and advocate for a rewrite of the CFCSA that would deliberately move from this adversarial model which predictably pits the Ministry of Children against parents? Would you wish that our Minister of Children would come out to say about the child protection component of her Ministry, “We do not need a system that is primarily an adversarial system. There is a better way to resolve the issues than rushing off to court.” Do you think that we need absolutely groundbreaking legislation in the area of child and family services?
I am interested in hearing you on this topic.
- To view the proposed changes to the Family Relations Act go here: Changes
- You can read more about the FRA story at this Vancouver Sun site: Family Relations
- Three Parents
- B.C. Proposes Sweeping new Changes to Family Relations law
