<
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/japan-ponders-custody-changes-as-australia-sends-hogwarts-style-letters-to-abducted-kids-20230831-p5e115.html>
"
Singapore: Japan’s justice ministry has proposed introducing joint parental
custody, in what would be the first step towards reforming the country’s
century-old system that has resulted in thousands of parents, including dozens
of Australians, blocked from seeing their children.
The draft reforms would allow parents to share custody of their children after
divorce, but only if both parents agree to the arrangement. Japan’s family
court would decide who gets sole custody if parents cannot agree to share
custody.
The proposals have been met with scepticism by parents, as the Australian
government continues to escalate pressure on the Japanese government for more
widespread reform.
This week the Australian embassy began sending Hogwarts-style letters to
abducted children in Japan, some of whom may not know they are Australian,
advising them that they could apply for an Australian adult passport once they
turn 18.
The letters, written in English and Japanese, have taken months of negotiation
over concerns about the legality of soliciting passport applications and
interfering in Japan’s domestic affairs. The carefully worded letters tell
abducted Australian children to “not hesitate” to contact the embassy if they
need information on consular assistance.
In J.K. Rowling’s
Harry Potter series, students are sent letters without
their parents’ knowledge, that advise them they are eligible to attend
Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
