Seanad debates
Wednesday, 12 November 2003
Courts and Court Officers (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second and Subsequent Stages.
Senator Tuffy mentioned that men feel the family law system discriminates against them. That perception is true. There is an almost instinctive reaction that where the custody of children is an issue, there is a presumption in favour of the mother. That is rebuttable but is infrequently rebutted. Men in those circumstances feel that they, rather than women, are at the receiving end of justice. What can I say about that? Women have suffered huge discrimination in many areas for a long time. Law, however, is one area where women litigants, in whatever capacity, have always been treated better than men, particularly in the area of criminal law. My experience, throughout my career prosecuting and defending in criminal cases, was that women were always given the benefit of the doubt in circumstances where a tougher approach was taken to men.
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