Council to appeal court ruling that BACKED father who took child on holiday during term
COUNCIL chiefs are to appeal against a High Court judgment backing a father who was fined for taking his daughter on holiday during term time.
Council chiefs will appeal against a High Court
Jon Platt was originally ordered to pay £120 by Isle of Wight council for taking his daughter to Florida.
But when he was taken to court for refusing to pay, magistrates ruled that he had no case to answer because the girl attended school regularly.
The High Court sided with a father who took his daughter on holiday during term time
The local authority took the case to the High Court where the businessman won the backing of senior judges.
The decision at the High Court was overwhelming
The council was prepared to drop the action because of the cost but had a change of heart after ministers promised to fund the case.
Mr Platt said he feared losing his home if the council won the appeal and described the case as a “huge waste of taxpayers’ money”.
He said: “This is absolutely staggering. The decision at the High Court was overwhelming. It was embarrassing for the council. They are only appealing because they have a blank cheque for future costs. I am one guy on his own trying to fight an army of QCs being paid out of taxpayers’ money. I am not entitled to legal aid so I have a chance of losing everything.”
The magistrates ruled that the father had no case to answer