A Bill to require courts, local authorities and other bodies, when determining or enforcing issues of residence and contact, to operate under the presumption that the rights of a child include the right to grow up knowing and having access to and contact with both of the parents involved in the residence or contact case concerned, unless exceptional circumstances are demonstrated that such contact is not in the best interests of the child; to create an offence if a relevant body or person does not operate under or respect such a presumption; and for connected purposes
House of Commons
1 May 2012
May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.
The bill would start with a presumption that a child has the right to know and have contact with both parents involved in a residence or contact case, unless there are exceptional reasons showing that such contact would not be in the child’s best interests. It would require courts, local authorities and other bodies to apply this presumption when deciding or enforcing residence and contact arrangements, and it would create an offence if the presumption is not followed or respected. The aim is to improve access to both parents for children in these cases, with the provision also applying to related purposes.
The bill is currently at the 2nd Reading in the House of Commons. It originated in the Commons, with the first reading having taken place in 2011; no further stages are recorded in the provided data.
Generated 21 February 2026
29 Mar 2011
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
