Shared Parenting Information Group (SPIG) UK
- promoting responsible shared parenting after separation and divorce -
Law Report: Z v Z
August 1995, Derby County Court, Judge Orrell
The mother had a history of refusing to permit contact or take part in a joint meeting with the court welfare officer. She claimed that the father was an alcoholic, but she did eventually comply with an order for contact at a contact centre.
Following the success of this contact and the father's evidence that he did not have an alcohol dependency problem, an order was made for unsupervised contact but she refused to comply and a penal clause was appended to the order. The mother still refused to comply and stated on oath that she would not comply, whereupon she was detained during a short adjournment to consider her position. She did not change her mind and was sentenced to 6 weeks imprisonment for contempt. After two days in custody she was recalled to court but refused to purge her contempt. After a further two days in custody she purged her contempt and agreed to co-operate, whereupon her sentence was amended to three weeks, but suspended for four months. When the case was later reviewed it was reported that the mother was co-operating fully with the order.
As reported in [1996] Fam Law 255
David Cannon
Last updated - 28 February 1997
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