What org can help with bfing legal matter?

[StarlightMcEggsie]

I have a tribunal to attend wrt my ds' SN shortly. It is going to be scheduled in one of the six weeks after I give birth. I do not want to be separated from my baby on this day but will have to attend.

The tribunal cannot be delayed as every week that passes without matters resolved costs us a considerable amount of money.

Many Tia!

The only thing I'll need breaks for is nappy changing but tbh I can do that on my lap whilst still talking and without anyone noticing if I really had to. I have before.

So the tribunal will let the baby in the room then?

Contact the court and find out for sure what they would expect to happen, if they give an answer you aren't happy with then that is the time to try to fight.

If you message them politely and explain your due date so they know it will be a tiny baby not a more active one, let them know that you can have someone with you who can look after the baby if he or she is disruptive but otherwise he or she will be in a sling then hopefully they will be accommodating.

Err right you are NOT going to be able to change a nappy during a tribunal....

Hmm, so I'm allowed to be finically penalised for bfing my baby.

That doesn't seem right.

Postponing will cost us a grand a week. It isn't an option. There is no money to find. We've already sold our house for this 3 year battle.

Agree with oddboots

Yes im sure you will be able to take baby in in a sling. They will have to stop the tribunal if the baby is disruptive though. it will just be impossible otherwise.

Thank you OddBoots. I'll do that.

It's only because the LA have been taking the pee and buttering about that the tribunal has been delayed to such an extent. It should have already happened.

Yes Pushit, I would take someone in case the baby became disruptive. I can't imagine it happening but it would be wise to prepare for it anyway.

Your postnatal body might be better than mine but I would have needed regular breaks for hygiene reasons myself in the weeks after birth so combining that with a nappy change for your baby should mean no lap changes needed!

Ok let us know if you get a response to your letter and we can deal with any problems then. Don't get yourself stressed about this. This things are always not nearly as bad when you are actually doing them. I'm sure baby will be fine in a sling and you can have quick breaks to do nappies etc.

Starlight - just an idea but maybe posting in legal may get some legal bods who have done some tribunals to notice your question.

Lol I forgot the hygiene stuff.

My life has been utter utter hell for so long now due to illegal and immoral stuff you just wouldn't believe that having a baby is really the very last thing on my mind.

Thank you Pushit. I've had to tight tooth and nail for the silliest things I'm permenently in fight mode.

I have been to tribunal before and lost due to illegal practices of the tribunal panel. I was advised that I should start a new appeal rather than appeal the old decision as the system is so corrupt it woukd cost us everything to fight the illegal decision.

That is pretty much where we are now.

If you ever fancy some serious mess sorting then please do consider the world of SEN law. The law itself is fine but it's application and accountability falls far short of the human rights act and yet no-one seems willing to bring that into it, including legal teams.

Thankyou Lagoon. I might try that a bit later.

Have you spoken to your barrister? My only experience is in a whole different area of tribunals, but what I'd have done is had the barrister speak to the judge/court as appropriate at the start of the hearing, explain that you would have the baby, what would happen if there was a disruption and what would happen re feeding (i.e. you would, quietly, and there would be no need to consider breaks every time as you were very comfortable). The barrister needs to, in the nicest way, tell the judge. If you leave it to the judge they may think they are being helpful to assume you'll want breaks, and once they've suggested a plan they tend not to like to be argued with (what with being used to having the final word and all).

But yes, also consider your body's needs so soon after birth. So sorry for what you're going through.

Thank you Youl. That makes sense.

Don't think they can stop you. Court is technically a public place & under the Equality Act 2010 it is illegal to stop or prevent a woman from BF'ing in a public place.

Is the tribunal hearing room considered a 'court' then?

The SEN tribunal bunch try to make things informal and it can be held in a hotel. They frown on you if you request swearing on a bible too.

I think the problem with the 'public place' argument (although I would assume a tribunal is the same as a court - so long as these tribunals are open to the public. Oh, or are they closed hearings? Can members of the public or press sit in if they wish?) is that a judge has the right to run their court room. If they decided that having a baby there was a disturbance, they could ask for them to be removed. Just as they would any other person. And then having an argument about whether that was discrimination would just be expensive, draining and delay the hearing further.

That's the reason I think it's best to get on to your barrister and get them to sort this for you. Dealing with court procedure is one of the reasons you have a barrister, so let him/her earn their money by pro-actively fixing this for you!

Hope it goes ok.

A barrister can't "deal with this" in fact a barrister can't have anything to do with corresponding with the court. It's against the bar code of conduct. All they can do is speak to the judge during the hearing or the usher/clerk prior the hearing. You'll need to write yourself (or a solicitor will if you have one).

A court/tribunal room is not a "public place". There's a legal significance to the tribunal being a "public body" eg her majesty's court (and tribunals) service. I presume this tribunal is part of this.

Jeez I know a grand total of zero about all this stuff - but just wanted to wish you all luck Starlight.

ahhpushit - were you responding to me, because if you look at my first post on this you'll see that speaking to the judge at the start of the hearing was exactly what I was suggesting. Starlight says she prepared and managed the case,so I don't think she has a solicitor, and whilst of course she can write in advance, I do this she also needs her barrister to help on the day.

Oh yes absolutely the barrister can help on the day - sorry slightly cross purposes I think?! :)

Sorry, just re-read my last post and didn't mean to sound as arsey as it came across! If it's anything like employment tribunals, the chances of any resolution before the day is minimal, so on the day help is what i'd be aiming for. Of course, there's the outside chance they are more organised...

No, the public aren't allowed to attend. Is there really no law that protects us in this instant?

Of course the best solution woukd be to expedite the hearing to before I give birth. It's only because the LA are pissing about that it is so delayed.