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Open Laws relating to children must use "must" not "should"

Created by James Swallow-Gaunt
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Laws involving children often uses the terminology of the word "should", which we believe leads to ambiguous expectations regarding professional responsibilities. We propose changing this language to "must," thereby establishing a clear legal duty for professionals within the child welfare sector.

Transformation of Terminology: “must” conveys obligation while “should” implies no more than a strong recommendation. We must change all instances of "should" to "must" in current law relating to children, especially:

1. child protection legislation, ensuring that professionals are legally required to adopt a child-centred approach in their practice. This change must affect all future child protection laws to help establish clear legal obligations.
2. parental and carer rights legislation - amend the legislation to guarantee that parents and caregivers have unequivocal rights in legal circumstances, including the recognition that their voices "must" be heard.

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    This petition will stay open until 17 December 2026.