Current Petitions

We are nearly there.PE492, which is from Mr Duncan Shields, calls on the Parliament to take the necessary steps to set up and monitor a national register of children who are permanently alienated from a parent. We considered the petition in May but agreed to defer our consideration of it until we had received responses to PE413, PE438 and PE465, which are the other petitions that we have received on parental alienation syndrome. The responses that we have to date received on those petitions are detailed in members' papers.When the committee considered PE413, we noted the Executive's view that the judiciary is well aware, and takes account, of behavioural issues that might be attributed to parental alienation syndrome when it reaches decisions in cases that involve children. We took that into account and agreed to take no further action in relation to PE413.In our consideration of PE492, members will wish to consider whether the actions that are proposed by the petitioner would be appropriate. It is suggested that the introduction of a private register of alienated children would be both difficult and, more important, inappropriate for obvious legal reasons, such as the protection of children's identities.The petitioner's other proposal—to create a public register that details legal firms and sheriffs who are involved in any legal action or decisions that cause or contribute to alienation from a parent—would also seem to be inappropriate. If each case is to be judged on its merits, a register of judges and sheriffs and their decisions would compromise subsequent decisions.On the basis of those two arguments, it was suggested that we take no further action in relation to the petition.

Is that agreed?Members indicated agreement.