British ministers consider father's rights

July 11, 2004

Sunday to call for a change in British law to give parents equal access to their children when relationships end.

At a summit on custody battles Monday, the Tory leader is expected to say the "best parent is both parents," the BBC reported Sunday.

Ministers are considering law changes to give divorced fathers a better deal on custody and access. The Tory summit will consider the idea of shared parenting or equal access rights - a norm in many countries.

A senior government source was quoted to have said fathers had a "very strong and I think very justified sense of grievance" about the family courts. The government must tackle "an absolute gender bias" in the courts that say a child's place is with its mother, the minister said.

Reports also claim mothers who flout court orders on giving ex-husbands access to their children could be forced to do community service.

 

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