FAMILIES NEED
FATHERS
Back in about 1974 a group of separated fathers formed the organisation known as Families Need Fathers.
These well meaning gentlemen sought to bring fairness to family law proceedings for fathers by way of lobbying MP's, writing well reasoned articles for newspapers and magazines and giving intelligent debate on TV and radio.
They even marched with placards to the RCJ in London a couple of times.
Believed to be a 1976 March on the RCJ London.
Unfortunately, this very 'British' way of doing things did not bring any change at all to the corruption within family law.
Some would say the situation is worse now for fathers than ever.
Then, as now, fathers were at the mercy of what the resident mother would give-if she was happy for you to see your kids, you did. If not, you did n't, simple at that-especially when really young children were involved.
Back in the seventies and eighties, some (very few) contact orders (they were called access orders pre the 1989 Children Act) were enforced by the courts on rare occasions, however no court will now do so according to the President of the Family Division, Sir Mark Potter (See our homepage).
Unfortunately, over the years FNF became a registered charity, receiving tax perks and other financial rewards that being a Government registered charity brings.
Some say being a registered charity brings a certain amount of Government control over an organisation through these financial perks.
Coincidently, in recent years FNF do appear to have lost their way in the campaign for equal rights for fathers in family law.
They (the leadership of FNF) have opposed all forms of F4J/DADS style protest and tried much persuasion on myself and others not to protest back around 2000/2001.
The following Times article raises serious concern regarding one of it's long time leaders, Steve Stephenson (who strongly opposed Dads and Fathers 4 Justice protests).
Before you part with any membership money to join FNF, you would be wise to read very carefully the following article that appeared in The Times;
PS; Steve Stephenson has been a senior member of FNF since before 1995.
From The Times
September 13, 2008
Fathers’ rights official tried to ruin man’s custody case
Fiona Hamilton, London Correspondent
Britain’s leading fathers’ rights charity is in turmoil after it emerged that one of its senior figures used the organisation to influence a child custody hearing against a father, The Times has learnt.
Families Need Fathers (FNF) is to pay tens of thousands of pounds in damages and legal costs after one of its officials admitted writing a defamatory letter to a judge in an attempt to undermine the father’s custody case.
Steve Stephenson, FNF’s London branch organiser, admitted that he should not have made the “false and defamatory allegations”, which were vetted by the head office of the government-funded charity.
The case has highlighted the secrecy in which the family justice system is shrouded, because the father – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was unaware of the allegations against him for several months.
It was only when the father, a working professional in his fifties, requested correspondence from his file that it came to his attention and he refuted the allegations. Three court hearings had taken place in the meantime.
News of Mr Stephenson’s intervention, which was written on an FNF letterhead and incorrectly alleged that the court had been deceived by the father, ignited a fierce reaction. On an online forum for FNF members one wrote: “Does anyone know why he would represent something detrimental to children and against FNF’s main aim? Has he lost the plot?”
The charity receives a government grant of more than £300,000 a year and David Blunkett, the former Home Secretary, is one of its patrons. Bob Geldof is also a supporter.
Mr Stephenson wrote the letter in July last year. He was assisting the ex-wife in the hearing by acting as her “McKenzie Friend” – an aide for litigants without legal representation.
The father said: “FNF’s role in this matter is especially surprising because it is an organisation that campaigns against injustices in the family courts.”
Jon Davies, the chief executive officer of FNF, said that a mistake had been made and an apology made. He said new policies had been drawn up, and distributed to all staff and officers within FNF, to ensure that such actions were not repeated.