Okay, this is kind of... disturbing.
OTTAWA (AFP) - A Canadian court has lifted a 12-year-old girl's grounding, overturning her father's punishment for disobeying his orders to stay off the Internet, his lawyer said Wednesday.
The girl had taken her father to Quebec Superior Court after he refused to allow her to go on a school trip for chatting on websites he tried to block, and then posting "inappropriate" pictures of herself online using a friend's computer.
The father's lawyer Kim Beaudoin said the disciplinary measures were for the girl's "own protection" and is appealing the ruling.
"She's a child," Beaudoin told AFP. "At her age, children test their limits and it's up to their parents to set boundaries."
"I started an appeal of the decision today to reestablish parental authority, and to ensure that this case doesn't set a precedent," she said. Otherwise, said Beaudoin, "parents are going to be walking on egg shells from now on."
"I think most children respect their parents and would never go so far as to take them to court, but it's clear that some would and we have to ask ourselves how far this will go."
According to court documents, the girl's Internet transgression was just the latest in a string of broken house rules. Even so, Justice Suzanne Tessier found her punishment too severe.
Beaudoin noted the girl used a court-appointed lawyer in her parents' 10-year custody dispute to launch her landmark case against dear old dad.
On the one hand, I know some parents can be dicks when it comes to discipline and be a bit overbearing and whatnot, but the guy wasn't beating or hurting her or anything, and yet, somehow this judge is able to say, "Hey, the way you're raising your daughter isn't right, so I'm going to overturn your punishment."
I mean, WTF? This could set a disturbing precedent if you ask. I mean, I don't have kids myself, but for those who do, think about it, are we going to have a future where anytime you kid does something bad and you punish, they can go to COURT, and the GOVERNMENT can override your parental authority? What the hell kind of message does that send?
Is anyone else bother by this, or am I going nuts?
Someone already started a thread on this . . . and NONE of us agree with the judge's ruling!! Truly, the nanny state has run amock!!!! :hot:
Remember, guys, it's CANADA. This is a tradeoff for free universal healthcare.
In the US, believe it of not, the Supreme Court has held that parents have a fundamental right to the care, custody and control of their children. If this case was brought in Baltimore, it's thrown out of court.
Here is the thread I started in this a could of days ago ...
http://www.badmovies.org/forum/index.php/topic,119720.0.html (http://www.badmovies.org/forum/index.php/topic,119720.0.html)
Simple facts are, my house, my rules, don't like it, leave.
Quote from: CheezeFlixz on June 21, 2008, 08:44:27 PM
Here is the thread I started in this a could of days ago ...
http://www.badmovies.org/forum/index.php/topic,119720.0.html (http://www.badmovies.org/forum/index.php/topic,119720.0.html)
Simple facts are, my house, my rules, don't like it, leave.
Ahh, cool, didn't realize this was already being discussed.