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Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development v PM [2016] NZFC 2133

Published 31 July 2016

Additional access — Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989, ss 5(b), 121. The Court declined to grant additional access, and instead maintained that the grandmother could have supervised contact with the child for one hour per week. It was stated that contact could increase to two hours if the mother did not exercise her contact hour following the grandmother’s. In making the order, it was important that the principle that wherever possible the relationship between a child or young person and his or her family, whanau, hapu, iwi and family group should be maintained and strengthened. Despite that, of paramount importance was the safety of the child. There were a number of risk factors which the child was to be protected against “at all costs.” The observation was noted and concern expressed that the child does not react to conflict. **Note: names have been changed to comply with legal requirements.