I was thinking the same thing Nonnie, GP's surely wouldn't risk a future reconciliation by going to court to see their GC, if they thought there was any chance of there being a reconciliation.
As you posted, it is the rights of the children that courts look at, not the rights of the parents and/or GP's. Worthitall in her OP says that the court in her case recognised that her being denied her GC "was not about the children but about the parent".
MissA made a good point earlier on the thread that GP's need to make the decision relatively early. If too much time has gone by it can count against the GP's and be seen as them not being as serious about maintaining the relationship with their GC that they claim.
I agree OceanMama that if an AC's parent cuts their AC out of their lives it would be totally wrong to then try and have access to their GC. When it's the AC that's cut out their parent(s), the children's GP's, that's a different matter entirely.
Children whose parents don't live near enough to their GP's for regular physical contact can still develop and maintain a relationship with their GP's.
Our friends have a lovely relationship with their GC, two who were born in Aus. and lived there for several years and the third born in America where the family now live.
They only get to visit once a year but have regular face time contact as well as being able to send birthday and Christmas cards and gifts, knowing that the children receive them.
Our DS lives in Australia, no children as yet and if there were to be any, even very little physical contact and being able to face time when they're older and being able to send cards and gifts would be a blessing when compared to being cut out of the lives of the GC we do have here in the UK.
If children are denied their GP's because of their parents decision to estrange their parents, the children's right to know their extended family as per the Children Act, is being denied Starblaze.
It doesn't have to be this way. I know I've posted before about a friend of Mr. S.'s whose son refuses to have any contact with his parents to the extent that he crosses the road if he sees them.
They continue to see their GC, taking them for day's out and having them for sleep overs. An example of a parent who isn't allowing his personal grievances with his parents, to impact on his children.