Boshier’s Last Salvo
Principal Family Court Judge Boshier has made what is described as his last speech in the role. Guess where? Yep, at the Women’s Refuge annual conference. Radio NZ has today been pushing his call in that speech to make domestic violence a separate criminal offence. Various feminist sympathizers have agreed but the only real advantage they point to is to ensure better statistics about such violence. I think those statistics already exist, and it would be much more useful to gather data to highlight the amount of false allegation and suicide (for each gender) in Boshier’s Court.
FYI, our media release today:
MMA
MINISTRY OF MEN’S AFFAIRS
MINITATANGA MO NGA TANEPO Box 13130, Tauranga 3141
Contact Kerry Bevin (09)4747762 or Hans Laven (07)5712435 or (0274)799745; [email protected]1 November 2012
MEDIA RELEASE
Men’s Affairs Group Criticizes Judge Boshier
Community group The Ministry of Men’s Affairs expressed concern today about the extent to which Principal Family Court Judge Peter Boshier had sided with feminist groups during his tenure. Spokesperson Kerry Bevin claimed that Judge Boshier’s frequent involvement with feminist groups had encouraged the Family Court to take his lead in favouring female litigants and prioritizing women’s concerns much more than issues affecting men and children.
Judge Boshier’s final speech in his role was at a conference of Women’s Refuge, described by Kerry Bevin as “an organisation that encourages women to blame almost any relationship dissatisfaction they might experience on male partners and to trash their children’s family units on that basis.” In contrast, Bevin said that Judge Boshier has simply refused to meet with fathers’ groups or men’s representatives throughout his tenure.
“Boshier’s call to make domestic violence a separate criminal offence seems difficult to understand because such violence is already a criminal offence, but it sure plays into the hands of anti-family and anti-male groups. He could have used his last speech to try to impact positively on our society by, for example, calling for initiatives to keep families together, to reduce the high suicide rate among those who go through Family Court especially fathers, or to reduce the huge problem of false accusations that are made in his Court and that unnecessarily damage relationships between children and their fathers.”
Kerry Bevin claimed that most men who had endured Family Court proceedings would be glad to see the end of Judge Boshier, and hoped that his replacement would show gender neutrality and more concern for children’s welfare.
END
Nice final kick in the guts of children and their fathers there Boshier.
Comment by Scott B — Thu 1st November 2012 @ 9:38 am
Wonder of wonders, the NZ Herald has actually mentioned something of the media release and the Ministry of Men’s Affairs in their story about Boshier’s call. They misquoted, but it’s still a good sign.
Comment by Hans Laven — Fri 2nd November 2012 @ 9:37 am
Above is last paragraph of the press release.
This has already been tried at the Waitakere Court with their Domestic Violence Wednesday processing plant.
I went along as a support person with a father charged under this scheme. I watched and listened. The father went to the counter and announced his presence and was directed to a room to wait for his solicitor. I slipped into the room and waited with him.
In bursts this femi-nazi tart ready to do her job but thinking there was only going to be him in the room.
That stopped her in her tracks for a moment. First she tried to get rid of me, which wasn’t going to happen then she told him she had read the complainant’s statement and he would have to plead guilty.
I intervened at that point and advised her that he wished to plead not guilty which he did ( and I genuinely believe he was as this was a historic charge made some months after the alleged event when the mother was trying to prevent access and relocate.)
This is a duty solicitor remember – who then advises her client that unless he pleads guilty she won’t represent him and storms out of the room.
Comment by Down Under — Fri 2nd November 2012 @ 10:15 am
North Shore Family Court Judge Laurie Ryan has replaced Peter Boshier as Principal FC judge but only for six months in an acting role, so he can’t afford to get to comfortable in the seat. The goss we have heard from a reliable source is that this is because the Govt plans to scrap the role as part of the overhaul planned in the new Family Court Amendment Act and Chief District Court Judge Jan-Marie Doogue then will do both jobs (she is a former FC judge anyway). She wanted the job when the position was first created but missed out to Boshier and may get her wish this time round, meaning the Chief District & Family Court Judge, and Chief High Court Judge and the Chief Justice will all be women. Men of course will still have a role to play in the Family Court – as respondents and villains. Ryan has been chief administrative FC judge in Auckland for awhile and is responsible for setting all the centralised fixtures. He’s the guy who does the all telephone conferences with lawyers setting down the final requirements for long cause hearings.
Comment by Brian — Sun 4th November 2012 @ 1:00 am
I had to look twice to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating –
Judge Boshier (Quoted in NZ Herald) – “We all know that family violence is a huge problem, but we don’t know just how much of a huge problem it is.”
Bugger! This guy can’t even talk logically! Talk about irrational.
What a ludicrous, incoherent statement.
First off he’s saying ‘We all know’ which is bloody patronizing BS trying to speak for others for starters, then he goes on to say there’s a huge problem, but we don’t know the exact size of the problem. Duh!
My goodness! to think this guy is in charge of a government organization with the power to affect the lives of many thousands of ordinary honest NZers. Not to mention the huge waste of taxpayer money he represents.
What a travesty of justice.
Malice in Blunderland.
How deep does the rabbit hole go?
Comment by Skeptic — Sun 4th November 2012 @ 1:19 am
@ Skeptic
It may look like self inflicted introspective justification but when several events are placed alongside each other some perspective on the nature of change can be seen rather than the inadequacy of a few individuals.
Boshier is taking his clearly extreme socialist attitude to the law commission which is far reaching and can be much more socially manipulative than the family court – he’ll be relishing the prospect.
Focusing on the female leadership within the judicial structure overlooks the continuing creeping status of the “Family Court” and the nature and operation of the law and its delivery of outcomes irrespective of parliament. They have become competing institutions rather than co-operative but independent.
Take the implementation of the proposed child support bill, (which besides other issues which have been discussed here recently, at length) it will in its process effect a creeping nationalism by undermining the economic activity of the individual and small businesses.
There are only a few winners here and it is not the people of New Zealand that’s for sure.
Comment by Down Under — Sun 4th November 2012 @ 8:08 am
Here’s a cartoon readers will probably relate to strongly – https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=404060429649444&set=a.392418540813633.89052.102001393188684&type=1&theater
Comment by Skeptic — Mon 5th November 2012 @ 2:01 pm
He wasn’t quite finished.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7920707/Bringing-Family-Court-out-of-the-shadows
Comment by Down Under — Thu 8th November 2012 @ 9:11 am
Only got a few paragraphs into that article. Read enough lies.
Comment by Scott B — Thu 8th November 2012 @ 10:43 am
Reply to ScottB #9
Got in one….
Comment by johndutchie — Thu 8th November 2012 @ 10:48 am