That someone is using a made up law to stop me taking a photo of my child

[Spero]

My daughter is in her first ever drama festival. She is very proud and nervous. I want to take a photo of her. I am told I cannot due to the 'Child protection Act'. I am a family lawyer. I have never heard of this Act. Nor has Google.

So the objection is not that I may disrupt proceedings with annoying camera but that the mere act of taking an photo of my own child is somehow a child protection issue.

I am angry - not so much that I can't take a photo of my precious first born, but for what this reveals about the sloppy muddleheaded approach we seem to have about what 'child protection' really means.

AIBU to be so cross? Am contemplating stern letter of complaint. Making up legislation really isn't on.

I'm no-one's "sock puppet" - how delightful. Simply another lawyer (will no doubt be accused of boasting now for having a job) who is sick of people who read something on google and think it gives them authority to make up laws. Or who think the law is very simple and can be dismissed in a few sentences.

My personal favourite is "health and safety" - you're not allowed to do that because you might sue us - who's at work?

I can see the way this thread will go now - criticism of lawyers, picking to bits of the term "lawyer"...

Don't worry Chandler! Dobbin my High Horse is pawing and snorting as we speak. I will be riding off to save me, er I mean you from any horrible comments.

What snidey 'women know your place' remarks? People disagreeing with you is different to thinking you shouldn't do anything about it because you are a woman.

I don't think the "no photos" requirement in this case should have been flagged up as anything to do with child protection. The festival's safeguarding policy refers to official photographers seeking permission to take photos from the responsible adult. Members of the audience were not allowed to take photos, as stated in the general rules.

Given that the festival also states that it costs £46k to run, which is raised through entry fees, tickets, programme sales, donations and sponsorship, is it unreasonable to also raise funds through the use of an official photographer?

you

People did point out that a dad could be just as embarrassing. It's not that they are anti-feminist and think that women should never complain about stuff, just that you are getting worked up about something they consider unimportant. I do agree with others that rather than complaining, suggesting a better set of terms and conditions and highlighting what is actually relevant to child protection would be more useful.

Er, the post that I was 'one of those kind of mothers' was made about me, to me, so yes I rather did make it 'all about me'. O dear. Should I have sent a sock puppet in to bat for me instead?

You don't think it's important. Super. Fine. Let's agree to disagree.

I think it is very important.

Completely agree with you OP. As another lawyer, this sort of thing gets on my tits. And people who don't understand the fuss about making up laws won't mind when we arrest them under the Offences against Lawyers Act 2014, will they?

So lawyers can make arrests now, can they?

I can demand handsome men come round on a Thursday and take out my bins for me under the This is what I would like to have happen Act 2015

It's the law didn't you know

And I get to have Jason Stathams babies

O dear Sock, didn't you know that the Jason Impregnate Me Now Act 2015 was repealed last week? I am afraid your claim must be struck out. I am still hopeful however that Schedule 1 to the James Masters Take Me Now Act of 2013 remains in force.

Yes Rhonda, under the Law I have Just Made Up and Exists Only IN MY MIND Act of 1957 section 5, subsection (i)(a) (3) (as amended by european regulation Brussells III bis) I can arrest anyone when I feel like it, particularly when they are Annoying on the Internet.

We are going to need a bigger holding cell.

How do you know whether lawyers can make arrests under the Offences Against Lawyers Act 2014 Rhonda? Since its not on the statute books you can't check. See what we mean about made up laws?

What about the - give everyone a creme egg act 2015...? Essential piece of legislation completely been neglected here :)

I don't, sew.

That's why I asked.

I am utterly ashamed and disgusted with myself that I have forgotten to quote extensively from the Creme Eggs (Distribution) Act 2002. Who can forget that blistering minority judgment in the Court of Appeal when someone tried to mount a challenge via the Frys Chocolate Creme (Miscellany) provisions of 2004?

this is such fun. I shall heretofor simply make up legislation on the spot for any situation that is just a bit too difficult for me to deal with when shackled to logic, reason and er, actual true facts.

Can I just point out that I am really proud to have had "one of those mothers"

Me too.

And I'm trying to be one of those Mothers too. I'd really like to demonstrate that its ok to speak out when someone is mistaken/wrong/making up a law.

ponders pushing through legislation for 'Bear Grylls must do me now' act of 2015

fears outing self in rl with this shocking admission

Bear Grylls? ewwwww! under the No One Can Possibly Fancy Anyone I Think Is a Bit Strange Regulations of 1999 I hereby sentence you to forfeiture of all and any of your creme eggs in perpetuity.

I'm not a lawyer; I'm a journalist.

In my job I was sick and tired of Plod making it up as they went along just to make it easy for themselves.

'You can't stand here' 'You cant ask that'. 'Move along, nothing to see here.'

No actually I could, so fuck off.

It appalls me that people think that's okay.

As it happens, laws have been passed that do make it an offence to stand there and ask that.

One of them was under Margaret Thatcher's administration and is the one that makes it an offence to cause alarm and distress. That covers telling an officious police officer to fuck off. You can be arrested for that.

There was also another one in of the dying days of John Major's government in 1996/97.

People are sleepwalking into this.

o fgs limited. Calm down. are you 'one of those mothers'.

its trivial you see. A number of posters have repeatedly opined thus, so it must be so.

[expletive deleted]

are you 'one of those mothers'.

'fraid so Spero.

Very glad to hear that limited.

I hope my daughter will also grow up to be 'one of those mothers'.