Social worker loses appeal over ruling by judge that she improperly altered records – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 3rd, 2017 in appeals, care orders, news, social services by tracey

‘The Family Court has dismissed an appeal by a social worker against a finding that she improperly altered records concerning children in care proceedings.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 1st March 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Cloisters column part two – ‘Premature Labelling? A child-centred approach to questions of gender identity’ – Cloisters

Posted February 22nd, 2017 in care orders, children, family courts, gender, news, social services, transgender persons by sally

‘This is part two of a two-part series on trans rights from leading equality and human rights barrister Claire McCann at Cloisters. Part one explores toilets and gender identity.’

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Cloisters, 14th February 2017

Source: www.cloisters.com

How is the PLO working? What is its impact on court process and outcome? – Family Law Week

‘The last five years have brought important reforms to care proceedings. The Judiciary made proposals for modernising family justice with a focus on strong judicial leadership, judicial continuity and better case management.2 The Family Justice Review3 recommended that the duration of care proceedings should be limited to 26 weeks, that fewer experts should be instructed in proceedings and there should be more limited scrutiny of the care plan, with the court considering only the plan for permanency (care by the parents(s), placement in the extended family, long-term fostering, or adoption) and not matters such as services for the child and contact arrangements. The Review’s recommendations were enacted in the Children and Families Act 2014, supplemented by new procedural rules (the PLO 2014) and implemented on April 22, 2014. This date also marked the opening of the Family Court, replacing the triple jurisdiction of the Family Proceedings Court, the County Court and the High Court. ‘

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Family Law Week, 17th February 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Family judge condemns 2,000-page bundle – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A family judge has expressed his disapproval at the ‘unwarranted expenditure’ in a case where a local authority breached Article 8 rights under the European Convention on Human Rights by taking an infant into care.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 17th February 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Kirklees council breached parents’ human rights by removing baby – The Guardian

Posted February 17th, 2017 in care orders, human rights, local government, news, parental responsibility by sally

‘Social workers have been accused of breaching the human rights of a couple after their week-old baby was taken off them in hospital when the father praised “the benefits of formula milk”.’

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The Guardian, 16th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

City settles claim over failure to protect woman when in care as child – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 20th, 2017 in care orders, child abuse, compensation, fostering, local government, news by sally

‘Peterborough City Council has reached an out of court settlement with a woman who accused it of failing to protect her when she was in its care as a child.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th January 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Judge lambasts council and police for flaws in investigation and care case – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 5th, 2017 in care orders, damages, human rights, news, police, social services by tracey

‘A High Court judge has strongly criticised a council and a police force for serious breaches of the Human Rights Act, after two children were retained in care despite their mother not being charged with an offence following her arrest.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th January 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

British couple suspected of trying to join Isis allowed to keep children – The Guardian

Posted December 13th, 2016 in care orders, children, families, news, proscribed organisations, terrorism by sally

‘A British couple have won a legal fight to be reunited with their children after being arrested on suspicion of trying to travel to Syria to join Islamic State.’

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The Guardian, 12th December 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Children: Public Law Update (December 2016) – Family Law Week

Posted December 8th, 2016 in adoption, appeals, care orders, families, fostering, legal representation, news, witnesses by tracey

‘John Tughan QC of 4 Paper Buildings reviews recent important judgments in the field of public children law.’

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Family Law Week, 7th December 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Parents fear transgender children will be taken away after court ruling – The Guardian

Posted November 22nd, 2016 in care orders, custody, families, news, transgender persons by sally

‘Parents of transgender children fear their ex-partners will sue them for custody of their children after the high court ruled that a seven-year-old child who identified as transgender should be removed from the care of their mother.’

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The Guardian, 22nd November 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

16-year-old’s representation plight highlights pro bono dependency – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 8th, 2016 in appeals, care orders, children, legal representation, news, pro bono work by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has allowed a 16-year-old involved in care proceedings to instruct her own solicitor in a case highlighting the extent to which pro bono solicitors are now needed to resolve representation challenges.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 7th November 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Seven-year-old boy ‘living life entirely as a girl’ removed from mother’s care by judge – The Independent

Posted October 24th, 2016 in care orders, children, gender, news by michael

‘A seven-year-old boy who was “living life entirely as a girl” has been removed from his mother’s care following a ruling by a High Court judge.’

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The Independent, 22nd October 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Average time for disposal of care proceedings steady at 27 weeks: report – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 5th, 2016 in adoption, care orders, delay, female genital mutilation, news, reports, statistics by sally

‘The average time for the disposal of a care or supervision application made in April to June 2016 in England and Wales was 27 weeks, remaining steady over the past year, the latest quarterly report on family court statistics has revealed.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th October 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Judge voices fears over ‘relentless rise’ in child care cases following Baby P tragedy – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 21st, 2016 in care orders, child abuse, child neglect, judges, local government, news, statistics by tracey

‘The effect of the Baby P case has contributed to a “crisis” in the children’s care system, the president of the High Court’s Family Division has said. Sir James Munby called for urgent research into why the number of cases in which children can be separated from their parents on the application of a council had more than doubled in the last decade.’

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Latest view from the President’s Chambers

Daily Telegraph, 20th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Duties of Local Authorities to Unaccompanied Migrant Children – Family Law Week

Posted September 9th, 2016 in care orders, children, EC law, local government, news, refugees by tracey

‘Jennifer Kotilaine, barrister of 42 Bedford Row, analyses the duties of local authorities to unaccompanied migrant children in the light of the House of Lords European Union Select Committee’s recent critical report on the subject.’

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Family Law Week, 1st September 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Legal representation in care proceedings under review – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 7th, 2016 in care orders, children, family courts, legal representation, news by sally

‘A government review into representation of children in public law cases could lead to lawyers being removed at certain stages in proceedings.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 5th September 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Father who backs ‘harmful’ alternative cancer medication should have baby taken into care, says judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 24th, 2016 in autism, cancer, care orders, children, family courts, health, medicines, news by sally

‘A baby boy whose father advocates the use of “harmful alternative medication” should be taken into council care, a family court judge has decided.’

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Daily Telegraph, 23rd August 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Courts must prepare for significant increases in care cases, says top judge – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 24th, 2016 in care orders, children, families, family courts, news, pilot schemes, statistics by sally

‘The family courts must plan on the basis that there will continue to be significant increases in care cases, the President of the Family Division has warned.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

And There Lurks the Minotaur: The Interrelationship Between the Inherent Jurisdiction and Section 25, CA 1989: Part II – Family Law Week

‘Alex Laing, barrister of Coram Chambers, considers further the interrelationship of secure accommodation and the inherent jurisdiction and the principles which should govern its use.’

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Family Law Week, 8th July 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Parents with disabilities – Park Square Barristers

‘It is entirely common for care proceedings to involve parents with learning disabilities or difficulties. This case is essential reading for all practitioners involved in such cases. It sets out the expectations on the state (inevitably through a local authority) to provide support to such parents in caring for their children.’

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Park Square Barristers, 23rd June 2016

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk