Justice for Jakob and Bradyn

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY, PETITION
To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory

The petition of certain residents of the Australian Capital Territory draws to the attention of the Assembly that there is an institutionalised culture of maladministration and lack of accountability and transparency in decision-making in the Child and Youth Protection Services (“CYPS”) of the ACT administration, formerly called the Care and Protection Services, which has led to the physical, sexual and emotional abuse and on occasion death of children in the care of the Director-General of Community Services Directorate.

Your petitioners therefore request the Assembly to amend the Children and Young People Act 2008 (“the Act”) to:

(a) clarify that the requirements in the Act with respect to decisions made under the Act relating to children and young people apply equally to decisions made under Care and Protection orders made pursuant to the Act;

(b) make provision for independent external merits review by the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal of decisions made by the Director-General and his or her delegates under the Care and Protection chapters of the Act, as well as decisions made under a Care and Protection order made pursuant to the Act;

(c) require a decision-maker making a decision under the Act or making a decision under a Care and Protection order made pursuant to the Act must provide written reasons for the decision when requested to do so by a parent, grandparent or other person affected or aggrieved by the decision.