FNF: Ian Mackay, FNF media spokesman, dies.
Monday, 20, Feb 2006 12:00
Ian Mackay, FNF media spokesman for a decade, died unexpectedly a week ago.
A regular on live media news bulletins, he was also the source of many quotes in print media about issues around fatherhood, especially in the days before FNF started to issue press releases. He was also a reliable source of case studies for features writers and documentary makers. He often appeared in these pieces himself, an example being "Geldof on Fathers".
He is bound to be missed from media "little black books".
But far more importantly, he embodied everything that is worthwhile about Families Need Fathers, a story rarely covered in the media, the 90% of our work that is pastoral, that has nothing to do with being a "pressure group".
FNF is a self help charity. Having given up chartered accountancy, Ian became an almost full-time "McKenzie Friend" to countless fathers, and some mothers, in their court cases over contact. He was in court two or three times a week.
He did this at great personal cost, living only a little above the breadline. Mostly he helped litigants-in-person too poor to pay for lawyers, but just above the Legal Aid threshold. The most common tribute FNF has received from members is "Without Ian, I would not be seeing my children."
Probably several hundred FNF children owe their relationship with their non resident parent to Ian, either directly, or through the depth of knowledge he could share at FNF meetings, on the FNF helpline, or one to one, helping write a court statement, or letters, sometimes until three in the morning.
He knew more law than most family lawyers. And he had a knack of understanding which way a case was going, and steering the litigant into the sympathies of the judge.
He had that rare "wood for the trees" intelligence lacking in the lawyers and welfare officers around many contact disputes, and could see how to break the deadlock in apparently intractable cases.
Judges respected him too, and he was well known at the Royal Courts of Justice and in County Courts around Hertfordshire, but he also traveled all over the UK.
His contribution was mentioned by name in several test cases important to Families Need Fathers. Last year, for example a case laid down in clear terms that a litigant in person should have the inalienable right to the assistance of a McKenzie Friend*.. Opposing lawyers routinely attempted to get McKenzies excluded, often successfully.
Occasionally he was excluded by a high-handed and wrong-headed judge. But mostly, as one said, it was "Mr Mackay is always welcome in our courts."
And finally... the media may still have cause to be grateful to Ian. An important test case comes up on 28th February at the Royal Courts. Although the litigant, FNF member Simon Clayton, is to be represented by media silk James Price QC, Ian did much of the groundwork.
FNF Chair John Baker said: "We hope the case will be a watershed in cracking open the family courts to media scrutiny. Draconian injunctions in family cases trample on free speech in a democracy. They hide many wrongs. If, as Sir Mark Potter, Family Division President claims, the courts are fair to fathers, this fact can be reported. Ian Mackay campaigned in the most practical way possible for family court reform, by helping wronged individuals. Much of what FNF has campaigned for over 30 years is beginning to happen. Open courts, the right to a McKenzie friend, these are part of Ian's legacy. The last domino to fall — a broad acceptance of shared parenting — may be round the corner. Ian Mackay's life was truly one that made a difference."