Relocation Cases

EDM number 373 in 2009-10, proposed by David Maclean on 07/12/2009.
Categorised under the topics of Children and families and Family law.

That this House believes that a child's relationship with its parents requires greater legislative protection with regard to the Family Court's current application of precedent in international and national relocation cases; further believes that the Family Courts of England and Wales' position on the importance of the father/child relationship does not reflect the current authoritative research on the importance of father involvement in educational and psychological development in relocation cases; further believes that the courts in practice place too great an emphasis on the unsubstantiated emotional risk to the child from the mother's possible distress and disappointment if not allowed to relocate; considers that this emphasis over-rides all other considerations including the needs and rights of the child; and calls on the Government to respond positively to the research report by the charity Reunite, entitled Relocation, funded by the Ministry of Justice and published in July 2009.

This motion has been signed by a total of 59 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.