Councillor Martin Tett, Leader of Conservative-controlled Bucks County Council
Councillor Lin Hazell, Bucks County Council Cabinet Member for Children’s Services
A local authority has failed in a bid to oust a journalist covering a child protection case in the family court.
Buckinghamshire County Council (leader Cllr Martin Tett, left) initially raised no objection to the presence of Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice and an accredited journalist, in a case where they were seeking an interim child protection order.
But during an interval in which District Judge Patrick Perusko met the two children involved, at their request, before reconvening in Milton Keynes Magistrates Court, the Tory-run council’s social workers and advocate together with the court-appointed ‘children’s guardian’ and her solicitor took the opportunity to do an internet search of Christian Voice.
When the court reassembled, Bucks County Council’s advocate, one Mr Dove, objected to Green’s presence, based on blog gossip about the alleged political stance of the prayer and action group. The solicitor for the children’s guardian backed up the plea.
But District Judge Perusko was having none of it. Mr Green, he told the advocates, was entitled to be there. If they objected, it had to be on specific grounds listed in a court practice direction. It was clear these did not include that the opinions of a journalist were not politically correct.
So long as the children were not identified directly or indirectly, the media were entitled to report on a child protection case. The advocates were left looking foolish.
Stephen Green said afterwards, ‘Whilst I am flattered by the attention they have given to a humble reporter and commentator, I do feel Bucks County Council could have spent their time in the interval better, perhaps by going out to buy some toothbrushes for the children in their care.’
Click here for our report of the hearing: Social Services tell girls: ‘No Nightie? Wear my Tee-shirt!’
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