Why is the Children Act so significant?
The current child protection system is based on the Children Act 1989, which was introduced in an effort to reform and clarify the existing plethora of laws affecting children.
The Children Act 1989 gave every child the right to protection from abuse and exploitation and the right to inquiries to safeguard their welfare. Its central tenet was that children are usually best looked after within their family. The act came into force in England and Wales in 1991 and - with some differences - in Northern Ireland in 1996.
The cardinal principle of the Act is that the welfare of the child is paramount when an issue concerning the upbringing of a child has to be decided by a court under this legislation. This means that it is more important than either parent's views or the views of any other adult involved in the child's life.
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