A British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Oxford has begun research on relocation disputes within England and Wales. Dr Rob George is looking to "broaden our understanding of the everyday realities of relocation disputes." He will be reviewing relocation cases, at first instance, in England and Wales between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012.
Dr Rob George is of the view that "Although these cases are increasingly common, very little is known about their everyday reality in England and Wales because almost all the information presently available is based on a tiny sample of cases which reach the Court of Appeal. This lack of information makes it difficult to engage fully with the global debate over the law's regulation of post-separation families in the migration context."
Families Need Fathers Scotland welcomes this move to ascertain the realties of relocation within England and Wales. Hopefully this research shall encourage debate on Intra-UK relocation issues. FNF Scotland recognises that there is a distinct lack of research on relocation within the UK.
More information on Dr Rob George's research is available on Family Law Week.
For anyone affected by a relocation dispute the Custody Minefield web site is an invaluable source of information. FNF Scotland is now collecting Scottish case studies and judgements to supplement its largely English coverage, and we would like to hear from anyone currently involved in such a case.