Lawyers please - Breastfeeding in Court

[HotI]

I know there are a law type people here, just wondering what the legal situation is with breastfeeding in Court.

thanks

[PumpkinZulu]

I started a thread on this I think, either that or it was on FB. Basic gist was its apparently frowned upon (seen as disrespectful, eh). I've breastfed DD2 in court. She was like 5 weeks old. A police officer turned around and said I "probably shouldn't be doing that here", I just smiled and kept going

[Barb Glare]

Why do you ask? The mother has a right to breastfeed anywhere she and the baby are allowed to be including the court.

[dusty]

The Courts are not exempt from anti discrimination laws. I can imagine though if you were required to give evidence it may be a bit more difficult in the witness stand or being on a jury but still technically possible.

[Amity]

You can't feed in a court exercising family law jurisdiction because nobody under the age of 18 is allowed in court (unless they are a party to the proceedings, ie a parent of a child but they are still under 18 themselves). Bit difficult to feed if they're not in the room.

Any other court should be fine. Some consider it disrespectful, like feeding in church or at a wedding mass, but given there's no law against it....

I think it would be ok if you were an observer, but if you were the accused or a party in a case that was running, the judge may consider that you are unable to effectively participate in the proceedings whilst you were feeding, and would thus adjourn the court. You need to be fully on the ball when you are a party to proceedings, missing even one word can change the entire case. It would be more about having your full attention on the case rather than some form of discrimination IMHO. The judge would be looking after your interests if the court were adjourned to allow you to feed.

[PumpkinZulu]

ETA...ignore me, was magistrates court, not family.

[HotI]

Thank you. I am looking into the legal situation of breastfeeding in Australia, and had a vague memory that things were different in Court. I wasn't aware that children were not permitted in Family Court, that might have been where i was getting confused. Thanks for the clarification.

[HotI]

Any other court should be fine. Some consider it disrespectful, like feeding in church or at a wedding mass, but given there's no law against it....

Do you know judges or other court officials who would ask a women to not feed? If a baby or child is crying would it be normal for them to be asked to leave the room, if the parent didn't do it first?

[Amity]

No I don't know anyone who has been asked not to feed. However I work in family law so haven't had exposure to other courts for a number of years.

If the child/infant was disruptive to the proceedings, I would imagine the judge/court officer would ask for the child to be removed. Same as for any adult - if you disrupt proceedings for any reason you are removed.

[AnyDream]

Check out breast feeding incidents in both state and federal parliaments. It has been an issue a few times. Ironic, really.