Children’s Minister, Tim Loughton, has said that divorced or separated parents who play the system to “freeze” their ex-partner out of a “meaningful relationship” with their children should face tougher penalties.
Mr Loughton said that currently too many parents were “sticking two fingers up” to court rulings on access, as he told the Justice Committee children’s rights to contact with both parents would be strengthened.
Speaking to the Justice Committee, the Children’s Minister said he believes that parents have used delays in the system to “freeze out” the other parent, so that by the time judgements on access were being made, contact with the children had been broken.
He added that he wanted tougher penalties for those “who go all the way to court but also stick two fingers up at the judgement”.
Under current plans – which have recently gone out for public consultation – family courts in England and Wales would have to assume that it was in a child’s best interest to see both parents.
The consultation paper also proposes extending the powers to fine, jail, or require parents to carry out unpaid work, if they refuse to comply with care arrangements; and it suggests parents who deny their ex-partner access to their children could be banned from travelling abroad, from driving or be made to abide by a curfew.