Family Court Hell, Dads On The Air, 11 September, 2007.
DADS ON THE AIR
Tuesday 11th September 2007, 10.30am to 12 midday
2GLF FM 89.3 in Sydney
and ONLINE via live streaming at http://www.893fm.com.au
or in MP3 format at http://www.dadsontheair.net
FAMILY COURT HELL
With special guests...
Mark Harris, the English father who was jailed for waving at his daughters as they drove past in the family car, and author of a new book "Family Court Hell", a rare and unique insight into the secret British family court system.
"Family Court Hell" is one man's harrowing story of frustration and determination as he battled for access rights to his young daughters following the bitter break-up of his marriage. Incredibly, his was a journey that spanned almost ten years, with 133 hearings by 33 judges, and which reportedly cost the taxpayer over GBP1 million. What should have been a "simple contact dispute" somehow resulted in this innocent family man effectively being criminalized by the family courts, resulting in a stretch on the A Wing of the infamous Pentonville prison, which housed convicted murderers, terrorists, gun runners and drug dealers. Mark Harris eventually took his case public and the campaign for fathers' rights took off - with the formation of Fathers 4 Justice. This is a shocking story that deserves to be heard.
Mark says "Any father who's got nowhere in the family courts when trying to maintain his relationship with his children may well think he lost out for a variety of reasons: because his case was not put properly, the judge did not listen, the welfare report was biased or some other likely reason for why the injustice took place. By reading 'Family Court Hell' it should become apparent that farce and injustice is dished out routinely in the family courts - if your children's mother simply opposes you seeing them. Fathers up against a mother's hostility will usually get nowhere at all especially when young children are involved - as the courts avoid being put in the position of having to enforce any order upon a mother. They would rather demonise the father instead and pick him off as an individual troublemaker. Truth, justice or even the children's welfare is simply not on the agenda. You are not alone, this is just the way they operate.
Here's a passage from the Dads on the Air interview with Mark Harris, to be broadcast tomorrow:
HARRIS: Eventually I got done for contempt of court in 97, when I got cut off from the kids by the mum, not the courts, but the mum just refused to comply with the court order. They put an injunction on me because I started waving to the kids when she was driving them to school in the mornings. I was on foot, she'd drive by and I'd wave to them just to keep in touch while I was hopefully waiting for the courts to resolve the broken contact order. She got an injunction to stop me waving and I said "well, that's really good if she can have an injunction to stop me waving when I've got a contact order you won't enforce!". So they took the contact order away and said that they'd enforce an injunction on me. I ignored it and carried on waving. And the first time around I got four months in prison for waving to the kids.
DOTA: You got got put in jail for four months for waving to your own children.
HARRIS: That's right, yep. And I was waving to kids that were waving back and wanted to see me, but the mum didn't want it. And that was the only reasons the judge cut me off, sent me to prison and gave me a no contact order. And I can remember his words clearly even 10 years on. He said he was going against the wishes of three intelligent children aged, at the time, 6, 8 and 10, who wanted to see their father, and he actually said they had a yearning to see their father, but he said the effect of me seeing the kids on the mother would be catastrophic because she hated it so much. So he cut me off and banged me up in prison.
DOTA: You'd think this was a farce. I mean you would not believe this was a true story.
HARRIS: It made a comedy show.
DOTA: You couldn't have written a worse script.
HARRIS: We used to have a show years ago in Britain called Monty Python where things were an absolute farce. Well, you know, we have people doing that. They call themselves judges but they wear wigs and fancy tights and they send you to prison for waving to your own kids while they accept that the mother's boyfriend's been knocking your kids around and abusing them, and they send him back home to live with the kids and send you off to prison for waving! That actually happened in my case.
You can read more about Mark Harris here. "Family Court Hell" is available for purchase for just $AU19.95 including shipping athttp://www.dadsontheair.net/Bookstore/tabid/67/Default.aspx
Jolly Stansby, activist from the UK's Fathers 4 Justice, is most famous for dressing up as a superhero and scaling public buildings to bring awareness to the injustice within the secret British family courts. Jolly spent seven days on Tamar Bridge in Plymouth, England, refusing to come down from his freezing perch despite being told "you could die up there," and then enraging British police by cleverly eluding capture. Stansby is a registered child care provider and is thus allowed to care for any child in England except his own, whom he was barred from calling and was originally allowed to see only four days a month. Stansby, who became a registered child minder in the hope he could spend more time with his five year-old daughter, made news as the "Ms. Doubtfire Dad" who appeared in court dressed as a woman in the hope that switching genders would bring him justice. Jolly was most recently arrested in the USA for scaling the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.
Here's a passage from the upcoming Dads on the Air interview where Jolly tells the story of one of his Fathers 4 Justice stunts, climbing a crane:
"I went up there about three or half past three in the morning, and after about three trips up and down, you know, bottle of water and then your backpack and then your banner, it was about half past six in the morning when I actually finished getting up there. I was a bit exhausted and it started getting daylight, and I can't stand heights! And of course once you could see the distance I just froze. It was the combination of being tired and all the rest of it and I didn't know what to do. I just froze there, and then a little while later I heard the crane driver coming up and he got up to the top and obviously said "What do you think you're doing?". And I said "well, I'm protesting!". Meanwhile all my stuff was in bags around me and he said "Well, I don't know what you're doing but you're not doing it on my crane!". And that just spurred me on enough to get the banner, and I shuffled it along to the end. We talked a little bit and then I explained to him what I was doing and in the end he said, "Well, actually thinking about it, good on you! I'm going to get paid anyway. Stick it up here as long as you possibly can. I'll open the cab up. There's a heater in there. I'll put the heater on for you and there's a radio. They're going to turn the electric off eventually but enjoy it while it's there." And I've got the banner out and I've kept it up and stayed up there for about three days!"
Also on Tuesday's show we talk with Damon (not his real name), an Aussie dad who has been fortunate enough to receive 50-50 shared care of his children. We'll also chat with Ted Donnelly from the Lane Cove Men's Shed about the 2nd National Men's Shed Conference, to be held in Manly this Thursday and Friday.
ABOUT DADS ON THE AIR
The Dads On The Air website is:
Dads On The Air is the most successful community radio program in Australia. It is archived by the National Library of Australia and for researchers represents the most extensive collection of information on the push for family law and child support reform in Australia. It also documents the history of the fatherhood movement in Australia and internationally and provides a fascinating insight into mainstream society's shifting attitudes towards fathers and fatherhood.
Through its often-active forums DOTA can also offer a rare window into the sometimes raw emotions of those badly impacted by state systems ostensibly created to protect their children.
The program began with a small group of disgruntled separated men in August 2000, and has since gone on to attract a team of people with extensive journalistic, entertainment, academic and internet experience.
Dads On The Air is registered as a not-for-profit group with the NSW Department of Fair Trading. The show played a pivotal role in the debate over family law reform, acting as a conduit for groups and individuals who could not get their voices heard in the mainstream media. As the years have passed Dads On The Air has widened its focus to cover broader social issues concerning parenthood and gender issues and to promote a positive view of fathers and fatherhood.
The program has attracted leading politicians, authors and lobbyists from both Australia and around the world.
Guests have included the Attorney General Phillip Ruddock, Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia Diana Bryant, head of the family law inquiry Kay Hull, head of the Australian Child Support Agency Matt Miller, author of The Myth of Male Power Warren Farrell, UK writer and academic Barry Warrell of Without Authority fame, outspoken academic Stephen Baskerville, researchers from the University of Western Sydney Michael Woods and John MacDonald, and lobbyists including founder of Fathers4Justice Matt O'Connor, Sue Price from the Men's Rights Agency, Warwick Marsh from the Fatherhood Foundation, John Flanagan from the Non-Custodial Parents Party, Barry Williams from Lone Fathers, Yuri Joakimidis from the Joint Parenting Association and Mark Bourne aka Traks from the Richard Hillman Foundation.
International commentators and broadcasters including Richard Farr from KRights Radio and renowned columnist and broadcaster Glen Sacks have also graced our airwaves.
Other guests have included founder of the world's first women's refuge Erin Pizzey, author of the book What Men Don't Talk About Maggie Hamilton, leading expert on parental alienation and author of Parental Alienation Syndrome Dr Ludwig Lowenstein, Senior Researcher for Kids Help Line Ian Thomas, NZ expert on boy's education and author of He'll Be OK Celia Lashlie, author of The Ties That Bind: The Cult of Parenthood Amy JL Baker, author of Shared Parenting and Fathers After Divorce Michael Green, head of Adelaide's School of Medicine Professor Gary Wittert, former and current heads of the Shared Parenting Council of Australia Geoffrey Greene, Ed Dabrowski and Warwick Marsh, head of Dads In Distress Tony Miller, Daniel Donahoo author of Idolising Children, academic researcher on the devastating social impacts of the Child Support Agency Christine Cole and former head of the Australian Labor Party Mark Latham.
Others have included father of an alleged terrorist Terry Hicks, 2006 Australian Father of the Year Ron Delezio, Cheryl King, wife of Liam Magill, who ran a famous Australian case against the Child Support Agency after discovering children he was paying child support for were not biologically his, Di Underwood from Grandparents Rights, Terry Melvin from Mensline, Teri Stoddard from the US organisation Shared Parenting Works, Sanford Braver, author of Separated Dads: Shattering the Myths, outspoken maverick Liberal MP Alby Schultz, supporter of shared parenting Senator Steve Fielding, now deceased supporter of social justice for fathers Senator Jeannie Ferris and also deceased and much loved activist Lionel Richards.
Still other guests have included renowned Australian entertainer Andrew Denton, who has established a writer's grant in his father's name The Kit Denton Fellowship; Geoffrey Atherden, former President of the Australian Writer's Guild, Adrienne Burgess, author of Fatherhood Reclaimed; John Baker from the UK group Families Need Fathers; disabled father jailed twice by the CSA Des Cochoran; Professor Ian Hickie, head of the Brain and Mind Research Institute at the UNSW; Graeme Cowan, author of book on depression Back From The Brink; Di Underwood from Grandparents Rights; motivational speaker and US fatherhood guru Brian Molitor; and Dr Amy J Baker, author of the world's first study on adult victims of parental alienation.
Press releases, public notices and other material for broadcast can be sent to contact@dadsontheair.net.
The studio for Dads On The Air is located at the offices of 2GLF in Liverpool in western Sydney. The station 2GLF is one of the oldest community radio stations in Australia. It was amongst the first tranche of four community radio stations that were established by Gough Whitlam during the 1970s, a time of great social ferment and change in Australia. From the establishment of the first four there are now more than 130 community radio stations around Australia, a unique opportunity for local people to have their say and in international terms a rare instance of democracy at work.
Dads On The Air can be heard on Tuesday mornings 11.00-12.00 at 2GLF FM 89.3 in Sydney Australia and depending on the quality of your radio can be heard from the mountains in the west to the coast in the east. While they're not all listening, it has a footprint of more than two million people across the demographic heart of Australia's most populous city. The show is usually up on the website within 24 hours of broadcast in an easily downloadable MP3 format and as a podcast. It can also be heard via live streaming at http://www.893fm.com.au
An entertaining mix of music, news, public information and wide ranging interviews aimed at fathers and those who care about them, the show covers issues concerning fatherhood, the Family Court, the Child Support Agency, Legal Aid, child welfare, boys education, male suicide, men's health, gender bias and other father, children and family related issues.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
The DOTA team, all of whom have volunteered hundreds of hours to the program, consists of:
John Stapleton, program director
Peter van de Voorde, co-presenter, administrator, researcher and music programmer
Ian Purdie, co-presenter, panel operator, music programmer
Lindsay Jackel, web site manager and news editor
Greg Andresen, researcher and co-presenter.
DOTA would not be the success it is today without the participation and contributions of countless people. In particular we would like to thank Ruth Morrison, station manager for 2GLF, without who's support and guidance we would not be where we are today, Ian Becker, director of morning programming for 2GLF, who's technical assistance has been invaluable, Carol North-Samardzic, who's decency, technical assistance and patience in teaching us all the ropes has been of enormous assistance, David Burn aka Smiley, who has helped create some of the original music for the show, Bruce Scheider and Tyson Ware, two stalwards, who's support and technical expertise, has often saved the day, and Jeremy Horton, who created our new website http://www.dadsontheair.net.
As well, DOTA would also not have become the most successful community radio program in Australia today without the support of numerous figures in the lobby groups around the country, including in particular Sue Price from the Men's Rights Agency, Warwick Marsh from the Fatherhood Foundation, John Flanagan from the Non-Custodial Parents Party and James Adams from Fathers4Equality.
Like all community efforts, over the years many people have come along to play their part; and without their timely efforts DOTA would never have survived. These people include the legendary Uncle Buck aka Rick Torning, creator of our first web site Glen Burns, recorder of the program and active forum participant for many years Mike Taylor, regular on-air voice for quite some time Ray Lentham and the wonderfully high-spirited former president of Dads Australia Rod Hardwick. Many individuals, including the ever-prolific Ross Mitchell from the NSW Central Coast and the good-hearted Brian Mahoney aka Bom Bom from Gosford, have also been foundation stones for our forums.