Guardianship of Children Bill 2010

Public bill · Private Member · Introduced

The Guardianship of Children Bill 2010 would make unmarried mothers and fathers joint guardians of their children automatically, with exceptions where the father poses a serious risk or the parents agree otherwise. It would require fathers’ names to be recorded on birth certificates, while allowing disputed cases to be decided by the District Court and permitting older births to be re-registered. Courts would generally presume that children benefit from regular relationships with both parents, grandparents and other significant carers, while the child’s welfare would remain the overriding consideration. Courts could also promote mediation and parenting courses, and restrict repeated applications used to harass another parent.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to vindicate the rights of the child pursuant to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989, to give further effect to the European Convention on Human Rights done at Rome on 4 November 1950, to extend guardianship responsibilities for the purposes of enhancing and better protecting the welfare of children irrespective of the marital status of their parents, to vindicate the right of the child to the society of both of the child's parents, absent compelling circumstances, and to provide for related matters

Last updated 12 April 2018