Auckland Psychologist Protest 7th January 2003

Protesting the role of Counsel for the Child

No 1 Sheenan St, Ponsonby Tuesday 4th March 2003

Arrival was about 10.30am. I was immediately confronted by one of the women from the Law Chambers. She told me to take my banners away and asked me what my name was. I smiled at her and carried on.

Soon after this, Sergeant Sandy Beckett from Ponsonby Police Station appeared. He told me not to block the footpath. We had a chat and he told me I could carry on and that I had a right to protest! What a relief!

Mark, Lorraine and Alan came along shortly after this and after chatting with passers-by, we all had a turn on the megaphone stressing the biased role of Counsel for the Child. Some of us have had dealings with Usha Patel, Pip Cobcroft, Lisa Jane Gray and Susan Ewen.

Between talking to another C4C who was sent out to stop the protest, we used the megaphone to point out the immeasurable damage that C4Cs are doing within the Family Court. The fact is the vast majority of the C4Cs have no understanding of, or qualifications in, child development. They slavishly follow the judicial feminist activist psychologists and therefore become a second counsel for mother. One protester stressed what a waste of time and money they are, how lazy they can be and how little they really do for the benefit of the child. He said most never meet the child, and some probably don't even have kids themselves.

More police arrived from Avondale and they again told us not to block the footpath but that we had a right to protest. Whew!

In the last picture, you will see that another police car was parked in some kind of surveillance position. You can see Lorraine speaking to them. After some time the cops decided they had had enough! They sped off!

40% of our children are now living in sole parent families and this produces devastating effects on the lives of children in many ways.

Notes by Jim Bagnall