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The Children Act is a piece of British legislation that is designed to give the court the right to exercise powers of protection over minors.
South Africa has a similar law which came in 2005 and it makes the High Court the upper guardian of all minors as means of looking out for the best interests of the child in precarious legal contexts.
Can you imagine how tough that job must be? To be the representative of the law that has to weigh all facts and then apply the legislation across diverse boards of culture and religion?
After all, a judge is just a person (like you and I) having to deal with everyday life curve balls and I can well imagine that the pressure of keeping up appearances must be relentless.
And it’s at the strike of a midlife crisis curveball - her husband approaching her and asking permission to have an affair- that we meet Fiona Maye, a high court judge in the family division.
Fiona is easy to admire but I’m not sure she’s entirely likeable. She comes across as too perfect, rational and controlled.
Her husband, whom she has distanced herself from is the only one who even remotely recognises her vulnerability. And despite his infidelity, he allows her to be human. Fiona takes her position as high court judge seriously.
She has a deep rooted sense of responsibility and her years of experience has earned her a reputation of being a judge that can apply the law in the least offensive manner, no matter how delicate the situation.
But the case of a Jehovah's Witness boy, aged 17 (nearly no longer a minor) who, with the support of his parents, is refusing a life saving blood transfusion on the ground of his religious beliefs, is a tricky one that requires an agile interpretation of the law.
It’s the kind of case Fiona Maye is cut out for, but while her one-on-one interview with the boy guides her decision, ultimately the right one, the final result is wholly unforeseeable.
This story absorbed me from its earliest pages - McEwan’s style is mesmerising. Perhaps it is my own legal background that kept me fascinated and made the context familiar, but I’ve always judged a story by its ability to nest in me and linger long after I’ve read the final page.
The Children Act did just that, and is still a talking point amongst friends who have also read the book.
For more reviews, read Cindi's blog.
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