Making family courts system more humane

According to a report in your newspaper (Jul 18), the Minister for Justice, Mr Alan Shatter, has plans to make the family courts ‘more humane’.

If one had any real expectation that this would happen, it would be a matter for celebration.

The current family law system is most certainly not humane. It has become a massive multi-million euro industry that survives and thrives by inciting and exploiting hatred between parents.

The legislation governing the system provides for extremes of victory and defeat and is drafted so that victory is virtually guaranteed for women and defeat for men.

Any man who is unfortunate enough to be dragged through this system will almost certainly see his fatherhood severely diminished or entirely destroyed and, depending on his financial position, be left homeless and living in poverty.

Anyone who expects a more humane family law system as a result of Mr Shatter’s proposals will be severely disappointed.

His proposals deal only with court structures and do nothing to amend the inhumane legislation which effectively gives women the power to throw men on the scrap heap.

Matt Harper

Clones Road

Monaghan