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Welcome from the Archbishop Dorian A. Baxter National Chairman National Association for Public and Private Accountability (N.A.P.P.A.)
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Dear Fellow Canadians. As Chairman of the National Association for Public and Private Accountability (N.A.P.P.A.), the Canada Court Watch Program and the Family Justice Review Committee, I would like to request your indispensable support to assist us in our endeavor to bring an end to the needless injustices being perpetrated against many innocent children and families by institutions such as our family court system and branches of the Children's Aid Society. The main goal of our non-profit, community-based organization is to provide guidance and to make recommendations to the courts and/or legal and health care professionals based on standards developed by a cross section of families within the community and implemented through consultation with representatives of the community. Where individuals or institutions violate the rights and freedoms of Canadian Citizens or conduct themselves in a manner that is detrimental to the best interests of families in our community, our goal will be to make those responsible accountable to the community for their actions. There is a growing sense of outrage amongst the people of our great land. No longer are we prepared to stand by while others suffer the unbelievable torment that has been inflicted upon children and families in general. The time has finally come for the madness to be restored to sanity. Individuals and institutions that are clearly found guilty of negligence, incompetence and malicious prosecution must be held accountable for their actions. We need to remember the great importance of those immortal words, "All that is required for evil to triumph over good, is for good people to do nothing". Similarly it is imperative that we recognize the truth in the very sobering statement, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely!" We, in this magnificent country of ours, are tired of political impotence in the face of tyranny. Whilst we have many fine judges and lawyers across the nation, we remain in a vice-like grip of a "Legal System" that embraces an adversarial approach whilst paying shallow lip service to such concepts as mediation, shared parenting/custody, and involvement of the community to help children and their families. Too many families are being pillaged and plundered as homes and relationships are ripped to pieces by litigation that takes much too long and offers much too little. My concerns outlined herein are not just the vain musings of a disgruntled citizen, but rather they come fresh from the crucible of personal suffering over the 11 years, 2 months and 11 days it took me to become the first person in Canadian legal history to successfully sue a Children's Aid Society. In July of 1996 the Ontario Court of Appeal unequivocally found the Durham Children's Aid Society and its social workers guilty of the grossest negligence, gross incompetence and malicious prosecution. Judge Summers described the behavior of the social worker Ms. Marion Van den Boomen in particular and the agency in general as "utterly reprehensible". You may well be familiar with my case, which was published by Reader's Digest and in over twenty newspapers across Canada as a moral victory and a pathetic, pyrrhic financial victory. The whole immoral and sordid action by the C.A.S. cost me in excess of $380,000 and my final pathetic award for damages was a pitiful $70,000 and the indignity of personal bankruptcy. (To read the Ottawa Citizen Newspaper article about this case click here ) Whilst my life was all but destroyed (thankfully I did win sole custody of my two precious daughters in Jan of 1987), the social workers along with many others responsible for similar injustices continue to work with impunity while harm continues to be done to other families. The cost to the taxpayers to defend the reprehensible actions of C.A.S. workers, in my case alone was between one and two million dollars. The fact that social workers who have caused such needless cost and brought such needless pain and suffering continue to work for the Children’s Aid agencies is clear evidence that the system as it now stands is utterly broken. It is time that the citizens stand up and take an active role to usher in a new era of checks, balances, and accountability within our community. An era where the needs of our children and families will be placed first in word AND in deed. An era where justice and mercy will prevail and the families of our country will cease to be ravaged by the unbridled adversarial system that encourages the complete and utter annihilation of the family unit. An era where the families of Canada will be allowed to blossom and flourish. We ask that you help our organization continue the work of helping those families being singled out and destroyed by our courts and government institutions. What is happening now to others could just as easily happen to you, your children, friends or family. We ask that you join in with other people of your community in a movement which will show that people really do care about others in their community. We would very much welcome your moral and financial support and invite you to be a part of the citizen’s movement to make our system of child welfare and our system of justice for children and families the best in the world. Respectfully and sincerely yours,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ACCOUNTABILITY
The Archbishop Dorian A. Baxter B.A., O.T.C., M. Div. National Chairman
Readers may contact Archbishop Baxter at dorianbaxter@canadacourtwatch.com
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