 Section 8 discusses the right to be heard. This section discusses the best interest principle, henceforward the BIP. The principle has been given different explicit formulations. Indeed it should be noted that the principle’s possible definitions vary in at least two important dimensions: what is being given weight, and how much weight it is being given. Thus we may speak of a child’s ‘best interests’ or simply of a child’s ‘interests’ or ‘welfare’. The former is the more familiar version of the principle and it is this understanding of the principle that will be discussed. The difficulties with this maximising interpretation will be considered in due course.