A High Court judge has stopped a blind World War II hero from returning home for Christmas despite a heartbreaking appeal from the 97-year-old former Royal Navy gunner.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons told Mr Justice Hayden at the family division of the High Court: 'I did six years in the navy during the war. I think I deserve some respect at my age.'Well, you'd think so, wouldn't you? If you hadn't been paying attention, that is.
Mr Justice Hayden said it had been a privilege to speak to the pensioner, but said he could not make an immediate decision on the case, which will now be heard in the third week of January.The judge gets his Christmas at home, of course. Why should he hurry?
But Julia, you cry, why single out the judge, this is another of those cases where the greedy council want to hang on to him because he's a cash cow! Well, reader, you may be right, but...
Wait.
Social services bosses agree with arguments put forward by the pensioner's lawyers.Pardon me?
Barrister Katie Scott, who is leading the council's legal team, has also argued the pensioner is capable of making his own decisions.
She has told judges that council staff have safety concerns and says a return home might not be wise.
But she says the pensioner has the right to make 'unwise' decisions. She says the pensioner can, and will, call for help when at home if he needs it.Well, well, well...
Judges have ruled the pensioner cannot be identified in media reports. They also say the council involved could not be named because that information might create a jigsaw which would reveal the pensioner's identity.So the only ones whose identity we do know are the judges & lawyers. I bet when they were drawing up the family court system, they wished they'd thought to build in anonymity for themselves.
So he wanted to go home, the council thought it unwise but accepted that he could call for help. Although the judge is clearly a useless twat as January doesn't cover Xmas the main blame goes to the council worker who originally made the call to keep him in prison, sorry, care and then escalated it when someone dared to defy their decision.
ReplyDeleteThe wisdom of Solomon isn't all it's cracked up to be. The book of Solomon in the Bible is full of stuff about how wise he was, wisest of the wise and oooh he is so wise. The only example given is that he threatened to cut a baby in half. So not so much wise as a knuckle dragging barbarian.
ReplyDeleteAs for the misguided people mentioned in this post, there are no bad consequences for them when they make bad decisions. People are starting to think that they should start providing some.
Happy New Year and thanks for all your greatly appreciated efforts.
ReplyDelete"...the main blame goes to the council worker who originally made the call to keep him in prison, sorry, care and then escalated it..."
ReplyDeleteI suspect they had little choice. Referral is no doubt mandatory, so the council can claim it ticked the right boxes. That's what we have these days, in place of judgement on merits.
"...there are no bad consequences for them when they make bad decisions."
So it's strange that they build elaborate 'standard work instructions' designed to remove all decision making from the process, isn't it?
"Happy New Year and thanks for all your greatly appreciated efforts."
And to you ;)