Judges & Lawyers Congress

This 'congress' is interesting as it shows the typical processes for development of family law :

1. the topics that are debated

2. the select group of lawyers and judges, effectively a clique of prominent Western World names

3. with only Western World cultures considered.

Yet again, the people involved are contributing to the development of matrimonial law without the involvement of the public whose lives will be affected.

And these people are further removing rights over children from parents, and transferring these rights to themselves, the lawyers and judges, using the excuse of 'protecting children'. This excuse, combined with the application of the 'no-fault' divorce principle, is what has led to the disenfranchisement of fathers. We see in the agenda of this 'congress' a re-inforcement of these evil principles.

The judges involved are therefore both making and enforcing law, without consulting the public, while applying degenerate principles, and while simultaneously transferring power from parents to themselves.

This process and the resulting situation is reasonably described as a tyranny, and the judges as tyrants.

NB - we have obtained this program on 29 August 2001 from the website advertising the congress :

Congress Program...

THE 2001 WORLD CONGRESS ON FAMILY LAW AND THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Bath, England, 20 - 22 September 2001

Note: This program will evolve as sessions and presenters are finalised - updated 27th April, 2001.

The overall theme of the Third Congress will be:

International Cooperation for the Protection of Children

The purpose of the Congress will be to create an international network of lawyers and associated professionals working for the protection of children, to be known as "The Children's Protection Network". The Network will be a permanent on-going, tightly managed structure, bringing together lawyers, lawyer educators, lawyer organisations and associated professionals in co-operative effort to provide assistance to children through its twofold focus on legal advocacy and education. We propose to work closely together with existing organisations.

The main theme is sub-divided into 4 sub-themes with a plenary session devoted to each of them:

(a) Letting Children and Youth Speak Out for Themselves

This is intended to deal with the dilemma of child autonomy and the protection of children from harm. Can a child refuse beneficial medical treatment? Can a 17 year old decide to become a prostitute? When and how should the wishes of children be taken into account in family disputes? To give effectiveness to this sub-theme, it is proposed that there will be a Youth Forum in which proposals for future action will be worked out. This will be supportive of  the UN Children's Summit, also to be held in late 2001.

(b) International Instruments for Cooperation.

This theme will explore the international treaties and conventions already in force which seek to protect the rights of Children. First and foremost is the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Hague Conventions on Child Abduction, Inter-country Adoption, and Protection of Children. There are also regional conventions in Europe, Africa and the Americas.

(c) The Impact of Social Change on Family Law

This will deal with the changes in lifestyle, technology and international mobility which have had their impact on family law. The topics in this category should be of special interest to practitioners. They will include: international family law litigation; the division of property; same sex and single parent family structures; the dealing with migrant communities and cultural diversity; international maintenance and child support; changes to non-possessory forms of parent-child relationships (residence/contact) in several countries.

(d) The Protection of the Human Dignity of Children

This is a wide ranging theme which will deal with issues such as child labour, child prostitution and pornography. It will also deal with the rights of children in legal, including criminal, proceedings.

Wednesday 19 September 2001

1400 – 1900 Registration of delegates : The Forum

1800 – 1900 Musical Recital in Bath Abbey

1900–2100 A Welcoming Reception to be held in at the Historic Roman Baths and Pump Room

Thursday 20 September 2001

0930 Opening Ceremony Forum Main Theatre

Opening of Congress

Message:

Her Excellency Mary Robinson - United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Opening Address:

The Right Honourable Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss DBE, President of the Family Division of the High Court

The Honourable Chief Justice Alastair Nicholson AO RFD, Family Court of Australia

The Honourable Daryl Williams AM QC MP, Attorney-General of Australia

Justice Lucien A. Beaulieu, President, International Association of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates, Canada

David McIntosh, President, Law Society of England and Wales

0945 Performance - Children's Choir

1015 Morning Tea

1100 – 1145 First Plenary Session Forum Main Theatre

Helping Young People to Protect Themselves - An International Network for Child Protection

Chair:

The Right Honourable Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss DBE, President of the Family Division of the High Court (England)

Speakers:

Stuart Fowler, Co-Chair:man World Congress on Family Law and Children's Rights Inc., Partner, Stuart Fowler & Partners (Australia)

Margie Cook, Public Affairs Consultant for Congress, Margie Cook & Associates (Australia)

1145 - 1230 Second Plenary Session Forum Main Theatre

Means and Methods of International Cooperation in Relation to Children

Chair:

The Right Honourable Lord Justice Thorpe, Court of Appeal (England)

Keynote Speaker:

Hans van Loon, Secretary General, Hague Conference on Private International Law (The Netherlands)

Comment:

Madam Justice Claire L'Heureux-Dubé, Supreme Court of Canada (Canada)  The judicial perspective

1230 - 1400 Luncheon Adjournment

1400 – 1530 Concurrent Sessions 1 –

1. Preventing the Sexual Exploitation of Children: an Update

Chair:

The Honourable Mr Justice Johnson, Family Division, Royal Courts of Justice (England)

Speakers:

Muireann O Briain, Executive Director , ECPAT, (Thailand)

Professor Nilima Chandiramani, Professor of Law, University of Mumbai, India and Jai Vaidya (India)

Amy Shee (Taiwan) and Bernard Y Kao (Taiwan)

2. The Hague Convention on the Abduction of Children - Twenty Years On

Chair:

The Honourable Mr Justice Charles, Family Division (England)

Speakers:

Professor William Duncan, Deputy Secretary-General, Hague Conference on Private International Law (Ireland)

Adair Dyer, Attorney, and former First Secretary of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (USA)

The Honourable Justice Joseph Kay, Judge of the Appeal Division of the Family Court of Australia (Australia)

Malcolm Broun QC, Barrister (Australia)

Professor Martha Bailey, Professor of Law, Queen's University, Kingston (Canada)

3. Let the Child speak out -The wishes of the child and family disputes

Chair:

The Honourable Justice Richard Chisholm (Australia)

Speakers:

Professor Michael Freeman, Professor of Law, University College (England)

The Honourable Justice R James Williams, Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, Family Division (Canada)

Dr Judy Cashmore, Psychologist, Social Policy Centre, University of New South Wales (Australia)

4. Youth Forum Workshop

5. The Exploitation of Children in the Media

Chair:

George Livingstone, Chair:, British Agency for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, BASPCAN (England)

Speakers:

David Niven, CEO Action on Child Exploitation (ACHE) (England)

Mike Jempson, Director, The Presswise Trust (England)

6. The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) Session: The Judicial Response to Domestic Violence

Chair:

The Honourable Eric Baker (Australia)

Speakers:

The Honourable Justice Linda Dessau (Australia)

The Honourable Denise McColley, President AFCC (USA)

Michele McFarlane (USA)

Cheryl Robbins, AFCC (USA

7. When Religious and Cultural Cymbals Clash at the Chime of Wedding Bells

Chair:

The Honourable Mr Justice Singer, Family Division, Royal Courts of Justice (England)

Speakers:

The Right Honourable The Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC,  Lord Chancellor's Department (UK)

Professor Talia Einhorn, University of Tel Aviv  (Israel) and Professor of  Law, University of Talinn  (Estonia)

Sara Hossain, Legal Officer for South Asia, Interights, (England)

1530 Afternoon Tea

1600 - 1730 Concurrent Sessions 2

1. Contact Enforcement and Facilitation

Chair:

The Honourable Mr Justice Wall, Family Division, Royal Courts of Justice (England)

Speakers:

Principal Family Court Judge Patrick Mahony, Family Court of New Zealand (New Zealand)

Andrew McFarlane QC, Barrister (England)

Eunice Halliday, Director, National Association of Child Contact Centres (England)

Vicky Leach, National Family Mediation Adviser of the NCH Action for Children (England)

2. Child Labour and Child Exploitation

Chair:

Stuart Fowler, Partner , Stuart Fowler & Partners, Congress Co-Chair:man (Australia)

Speakers:

The Honourable Leila Seth, Commissioner, Law Commission of India (India)

Tim De Meyer , Research Officer, International Labour Organisation–International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (Switzerland)

Roderick Best, Director Legal Services, NSW Department of Community Services (Australia)

Dr Vasudha Dhagamwar, Executive Director, Multiple Action Research Group (India)

3. The Role of the World Bank in the Protection of Children

Chair:

Professor Rebecca Bailey-Harris, Professor of Law, Bristol University (England)

Speakers:

Dr Velina Todorova, Institute for Legal Studies- Sofia (Bulgaria)

Dr Sabine Schlemmer-Schulte, Senior Counsel, World Bank (USA)

4. International Access Arrangements - The 1996 Child Protection Convention and other relevant European and international arrangements

Chair:

Ian Kennedy, Consultant, Wisewoulds Family Lawyers, Law Council of Australia (Australia)

Speakers:

Dr Andrea Schulz, Senior Government Advisor, Federal Ministry of Justice, Berlin (Germany )

Professor Linda Silberman, Professor of Law, New York University (USA)

Professor Kurt Siehr, Institute for Private International Law (Switzerland)

Dr Margaret Shone, Council, Alberta Law Reform Institute (Canada)

Mark Everall QC, Barrister (England)

5. The Prevention of Violence against Children: Parameters for Global Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

Chair:

John Kydd , Attorney at Law, Partner, Helsell Fetterman (USA - Child VIP - International Agency for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN))

Speakers

Dr Marcellina Mian (ISPCAN)

Dr Aexander Butchart, Team Leader, Violence Prevention Unit, WHO (Switzerland)

6. The Emancipation of Disabled Children

Chair:

David Niven, CEO Action on Child Exploitation (ACHE) (England)

Speakers:

District Judge Gordon Ashton (England)

Matt Bukowski, Director, Lincolnshire Social Services and Chair: of the Association of Directors of Social Services Working Group on Disabled Children (England)

Friday 21 September 2001

0900 – 1030 Concurrent Sessions 3

1. The Execution of Children

Chair:

Nicholas Mostyn, QC Barrister (England)

Speakers:

Edward Stourton, Presenter on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme (England)

Richard Ferguson QC, Barrister (England)

2. The European Convention on Human Rights and Its Impact on Family: the Human Rights Act 1998 (UK)

Chair:

The Honourable Justice Bratza, High Court and European Court of Human Rights

Speakers:

Pam Scriven QC, President FLBA

Heather Swindells QC, Barrister  (England)

The Honourable Chief Justice Alastair Nicholson AO RFD, Family Court of Australia

3. International Maintenance and Child Support Enforcement; do we need a new Convention?

Chair:

Sharon L Corbitt, Chair:, Family Law Section of the American Bar Association (USA)

Speakers:

Professor Robert Spector, Professor of Law, University of Oklahoma, College of Law  (USA)

Professir Kurt Siehr (Switerland)

David Truex (England)

Takafuni Sato, Attorney (Japan)

4. Abducted Children: Location, Restoration and Mediation

Chair:

Mary Banotti Member of the European Parliament (Ireland)

Speakers:

Anne-Marie Hutchinson, Solicitor, Dawson Cornwell, (REUNITE) (England)

Dr Marlene Dalley, Research and Program/Service Development, Missing Children's Registry, RCMP (Canada)

Peter McEleavy, University of Aberdeen (Scotland)

5. Youth Forum II

6. The Protection of Children from Violence

Chair:

Judge Patrick Mahony, Principal Family Court Judge (New Zealand)

Speakers:

Monjurul Kabir, Secretary General, LAW WATCH (Bangladesh)

Professor Tomiyuki Ogawa, Associate Professor of Law, Hiroshima University of Economics (Japan)

Judge Fehn-Shian Gau, Taiwan High Court (Taiwan)

Joan A McPhail QC, Director, Family Branch, Manitoba Dept of Justice (Canada)

Glenda Webster, (South Africa)

1030 - 1100 Morning tea

1100 - 1230 Concurrent Sessions 4

1. The Rights of Children and Cultural Diversity

Chair:

The Honourable Mr Justice Joseph Kay

Speakers:

Professor Dr Chuma Himonga., Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town (South Africa)

Grant Christoff and Geoffrey Bickert, Aboriginal Justice Directorate, Department of Justice (Canada)

Dr Bart Rwezaura, Department of Law, University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong/East Africa )

Sri Marpinjun, University of Yogyakarta (Indonesia)

2. Representation of Children in Legal Proceedings

Chair:

The Honourable Mr Justice Holman, Family Division, Royal Courts of Justice (England)

Speakers:

Marvin Ventrell, Executive Director, National Association of Counsel for Children (USA)

Michael Antrum, Associate Solicitor, The Law Society of New South Wales (Australia)

Willsom McTavish QC, The Children's Lawyer (Canada)

Professor Ludwig Salgo, Professor of Law, University of Frankfurt (Germany)

Tamar Morag, Chair: Israel National Council for the Child-Centre for the Child and the Law (Israel)

3. Inter-country Adoption

Chair:

His Excellency Judge Gonzalo Parra-Aranguren, Judge of the International Court of Justice (The Netherlands)

Speakers:

Professor Olga Dyuzheva, Moscow State University (Russian Federation)

Professor Lynn D Wardle, Law School, Brigham Young University (USA)

Professor Tshepo L Mosikatcana, University of Witwatersrand (South Africa)

Sally Nicholes, Senior Associate, Middletons Moore & Bevins (Australia)

4. The Law and Changing Relationships

Chair:

The Honourable Mr Justice Wilson, High Court of Justice, Family Division, (England)

Speakers:

The Honourable Madam Justice Marguerite Trussler, Supreme Court of Alberta, (Canada)

Nora Rundell, Director, Stepfamily Scotland and Janys Scott, Chair: Stepfamily Scotland (Scotland)

Joanna Radbord, Barrister and Solicitor, McMillan Binch, (Canada) and Martha McCarthy (Canada)

Papers Available from: Chien Liang-yu (Taiwan)

5. Parents and Children in de Facto Relationships

Chair:

Peter Watson-Lee, Chair:man of the Law Society of England and Wales Family Law Committee, Partner, Williams Thompson Solicitors (England)

Speakers:

Mark Harper, Partner at Withers Solicitors, London and a member of the Family Law Committee (England)

Professor Rebecca Bailey-Harris, Professor of Law, Bristol University (England)

Dr Kees Waaldijk, Head of PhD Studies and Senior Researcher, E.M. Meijers Institute for Legal Research, Faculty of Law, Universiteit Leiden (The Netherlands)

1230 -1400 Luncheon Adjournment

1400 - 1445 Third Plenary Session Forum Main Theatre

The Impact of Social Change on the Family

Chair:

The Right Honourable The Lord Slynn of Hadley, House of Lords (England) (Invited)

Keynote Speaker:

The Right Honourable Lady Justice Brenda Hale DBE, Court of Appeal (England)

Commentator:

The Honourable Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch, High Court of Kenya (Kenya)

1445 - 1530 Fourth Plenary Session Forum Main Theatre

The Human Rights of Children

Chair:

The Honourable Lord Bonomy, Court of Session (Scotland)

Keynote Speaker:

Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn, Professor of Law, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, former UN Special Rapporteur on Child Trafficking (Thailand)

1530 -1600 Afternoon tea

1600 - 1730 Concurrent Sessions 5

1. Can We Protect Children and Protect Their Rights?

Chair:

Speakers:

Dr Andrew Bainham, Fellow of Christ's College Cambridge (England)

Judith Timms, Chief Executive, National Youth Advocacy Services (England)

Claire Johnston, Head of the Child Abduction Unit, Official Solicitors Office (England)

His Honour Judge Peter Boshier, Family Court of New Zealand (New Zealand)

Dr Scott Loveless, Director of the World Family Policy Center, Brigham Young University (USA)

2. Property Division: Children -the Forgotten Parties

Chair:

Philip Theobold, Barrister, Family Law Section, Family Council of Australia

Speakers:

Nicholas Mostyn QC, Barrister (England)

Dr Tom Altobelli, Solicitor, Altobelli and Associates (Australia)

Elizabeth Picker, Solicitor, Matthews, Dooley & Gibson Solicitors (Australia)

3. The Protection of Children's Rights in Criminal Proceedings

Chair:

The Right Honourable Lord Justice Sedley, Court of Appeal (England)

Speakers:

Edward Fitzgerald QC, Barrister (England)

Kalyananda Tiraganama, Executive Director, Lawyers for Human Rights and Development (Sri Lanka)

Dr Willie McCarney, Vice President, International Association of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates (Northern Ireland)

4. Softening the Blow - A Non-possessory approach to Children

Chair:

The Honourable Justice Emile Kruzick, Superior Court of Ontario, Family Court (Canada)

Speakers:

Professor Christine Davies QC, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta (Canada)

Jennifer A Cooper QC, Chair: Canadian Bar Association, Family Law Section (Canada)

The Honourable Justice Richard Chisholm, Family Court of Australia (Australia)

5. Participation by Children in the Decision Making Process

Chair:

His Honour Judge Harris QC

Speakers:

Margaret Killerby, Head of the Private Law Division, Council of Europe (France)

Professor Patrick Parkinson, Faculty of Law, University of Sydney (Australia)

Arran Poyser, Social Services Inspector, Department of Health (England)

Papers will be available from: Professor Masako Wakabayashi and Ms Hiroko Horiuchi (Japan)

6. Trading In Children

Chair:

The Honourable Mr Justice John Vanduzer, Superior Court of Justice, Ontario, Family Court (Canada)

Speakers:

Bruce Harris, Executive Director, Casa Alianza – Covenant House Latin America (Costa Rica)

Dr Hamish Cameron (England)

1930 Congress Dinner Assembly Rooms

0900 - 1030 Concurrent Sessions 6

1. Human Rights and Corporal Punishment of Children

Chair:

Alan Levy QC (England)

Speakers:

Dr Penelope Leach, Families, Children and Child Care Project (England)

Dr Ailsa Watkinson, Faculty of Social Work, University of Regina (Canada)

Judge Saviona Rotlevy, District Court, Tel Aviv

Professor Christina Lyon, Liverpool University (England)

2. The Division of Pension Entitlements

Chair:

Bruce Blair QC

Speakers:

Professor John Dewar, Faculty of Law, Griffith University (Australia)

Stephen Bourke, Assistant Secretary, Family Law Branch, Attorney-General's Department (Australia)

David Salter, solicitor, Addleshaw Booth & Co (England)

3. Children as Victims of War

Chair:

Madam Justice Marguerite Trussler (Canada)

Speakers:

Jacques Bitababaje, President, Defence of Children International (Burundi)

Professor J A Robinson, Faculty of Law, University for Higher Christian Education (South Africa)

4. Divorce Law Reform

Speakers:

Professor Janet Walker, Faculty of Law, University of Newcastle (England)

Professor Alastair Bissett-Johnson, Faculty of Law, University of Dundee (Scotland)

Professor Frank Bates, Faculty of Law, University of Newcastle (Australia)

David Hodson, Solicitor and Mediator, The Family Law Consortium (England)

5. The Rights of the Unmarried Father

Chair:

His Honour Judge Karsten QC (England)

Speakers:

Professor Frank Martin, Lecturer in Family and Child Law, Faculty of Law, National University  of Ireland (Ireland)

Catriona Murfitt, Barrister (England)

6. Trans-Tasman Cooperation in the Transfer of Child Protection Orders and Proceedings

Chair:

The Honourable Justice Rod Burr (Australia)

Speakers:

Kate Ridley (New Zealand)

1030 - 1100 Morning tea

1100 - 1230 Concurrent Sessions 7

1. Child Witnesses: Competence and Truth Telling

Chair:

The Honourable Justice Lucien A Beaulieu, Superior Court of Justice (Canada)

Speakers:

Professor Nicholas Bala with Dr Rod Lindsay and Dr Kang Lee, Queen's University (Canada)

Commentator:

Dana Pugach (Israel)

2. The Child's Lawyer: Specialist Training, Accreditation and Good Practice

Chair:

Rosemary Carter, Chair: of the SFLA, Partner at Barnett Sampson, Solicitors (England)

Speakers:

Peggy Ray, Former Chair: SFLA Children Committee, Partner, Goodman Ray, Solicitors (England)

Moria Rayner, Director, Office of Children's Rights Commissioner for London (England)

Katherine Gieve, Solicitor (England) 

3. Implementation of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Speakers:

P. Imrana Jalal, Pacific Regional Human Rights Education Resource Team, UK DFID Pacific (Fiji)

Jacqueline Moseti, Advocate, Mukuria & Company Advocats (Kenya)

Professor Dr Bolaji Owasanoye, Director, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of Lagos (Nigeria)

Fabien Pierre Nkot (Cameroon)

Professor Ikuko Ota, Faculty of International Studies, Hiroshima City University (Japan).

4. Juvenile Justice

Chair:

The Honourable Mr Justice Gillen (Northern Ireland)

Speakers:

Hazel Thompson – Ahye, Director Legal Aid Clinic, Hugh Wooding Law School, St Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago)

Danny Sandor, President, Defence for Children International (Australia)

Her Honour Judge Saviona Rotlevy, District Court (Israel)

Catherine Latimer, Head of the Juvenile Justice Section, Department of Justice (Canada)

Mikiko Otani, lawyer (Japan)

5. Protecting the most vulnerable - Children Living with AIDS

Chair:

Her Honour Judge Roddy

Speakers:

His Excellency Ambassador Christopher Lamb, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Australia - IFRCS Swizterland)

Malika Ait-Mohamed Parent, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (England)

6. Victim to victimiser – Corruption and secrets

Speakers:

Ray Wyre (England)

1230 - 1400 Luncheon Adjournment

1400 - 1500 Fifth Plenary Session Forum Main Theatre

UNICEF presentation: A Future Agenda for Children

Chair:

The Honourable Chief Justice Alastair Nicholson AO RFD, Family Court of Australia (Australia)

Speaker:

Marta Santos Pais, Director of the Division of Evaluation, Policy and Planning, UNICEF (USA)

1500 - 1530 Afternoon tea

1530 Closing Plenary Session – Resolutions Forum Main Theatre