A new organisation has been set up in Galway to fight for justice and equality for fathers in separated families and to highlight the inequities they say they face in the Irish legal system.
The aim of Fathers for Justice and Equality is to create and promote awareness of the role and rights of fathers and a level playing field in the courts.
The organisation opened an office on the Tuam Road this week where separated fathers and their families can go for advice and information, free counselling and help in the preparation of custody cases.
Fathers for Justice director Sohail Butt, a separated father of two, said: "We want to make politicians and the judiciary aware of the drastic consequences of the draconian and sometimes downright subhuman treatment handed down by Irish family courts and the Department of Social and Family Affairs."
Family roles and structures had changed significantly, but the judiciary seemed to be stuck in the last century and had lost touch with the realities of modern society, he said.
"We have a system where practising lawyers act like vultures ready to pounce on the flesh of dying relationships."
Mr Butt is calling for all due processes to take place in a reasonable time to minimise the emotional trauma and pain for all concerned, particularly the children.
The organisation is also highlighting the damage to families it says is caused by the lack of transparency in family courts because of the in camera proceedings.
Since he became involved in the project, Mr Butt has been contacted by many separated fathers, some of whom, he said, are suicidal and some of whom are forced to live at home with their parents because they cannot afford to pay rent on top of maintenance. Fathers for Justice can be contacted at 091-752355.
