Ella-Rose Clover: Man jailed for toddler punch murder – BBC News

‘A man who repeatedly punched a toddler has been jailed for her murder.’

Full Story

BBC News, 3rd June 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Report raises alarm over police detention of vulnerable suspects – The Guardian

‘Police officers detained and interviewed vulnerable suspects without an appropriate adult present more than 100,000 times last year in England and Wales, according to a charity report.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 31st May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Court of Appeal hits out at “hugely burdensome” routine requests for clarification of judgments in care cases – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 30th, 2019 in appeals, care orders, children, interpretation, judges, judgments, limitations, news by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has issued a reminder to practitioners that receiving a judge’s draft judgment in care cases is “not an ‘invitation to treat’, nor is it an opportunity to critique the judgment or to enter into negotiations with the judge as to the outcome or to reargue the case in an attempt to water down unpalatable findings”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th May 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Family Justice Council issues interim guidance on special guardianship and extensions to 26-week time limit – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Family Justice Council has published interim guidance on special guardianship, with the primary purpose of addressing cases where an extension to the statutory 26-week time limit is sought in order to assess potential special guardians, more fully, within public law proceedings.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 28th May 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Children whitening skin to avoid racial hate crime, charity finds – The Guardian

Posted May 30th, 2019 in charities, children, hate crime, news, racism, statistics by sally

‘The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said racial abuse and bullying of children had risen by one-fifth since 2015-16 to more than 10,000 incidents recorded by police last year.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 30th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Munby’s concerns prompt fresh guidance on special guardians – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Potential special guardians put forward late in care proceedings should be realistic prospect and not merely the result of a ‘trawl through all possible options’, fresh guidance published by the judiciary has said.’

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary press release

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Law Society's Gazette, 28th May 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

When Parental Alienation Crosses into the Criminal Jurisdiction – Family Law Week

‘June Venters QC, of Venters Solicitors and Lamb Building, discusses the implications when issues of parental alienation arise in criminal proceedings.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 23rd May 2019

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Church review of Bishop Whitsey case – Law and Religion UK

‘On 22 May 2019, the Church of England announced a review into the allegations of sexual offences against children and adults by the late Bishop Hubert Victor Whitsey.’

Full press release

Law and Religion UK, 23rd May 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Judge ‘misled court in case against paedophile teacher’ – Daily telegraph

‘A judge has been accused of misleading a court and denying justice to victims of a paedophile headmaster.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd May 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Spotlight on child protection in family courts – Ministry of Justice

‘A panel of experts will review how the family courts protect children and parents in cases of domestic abuse and other serious offences, Ministers announced today (Tuesday 21 May).’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 21st May 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Disgraced army colonel jailed after instructing women on how to abuse their children over webcam – The Independent

Posted May 23rd, 2019 in armed forces, child abuse, children, internet, news, sentencing by sally

‘A former British army officer who instructed women on how to abuse their children so he could watch via webcam has been jailed.’

Full Story

The Independent, 22nd May 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Number of UK child slavery cases up by nearly 800% in two years, figures show – The Independent

‘Child slavery cases in the UK have surged by nearly 800 per cent in just two years, new figures show. Data published in the Modern Slavery Police Transformation Programme’s annual report show there were 475 police operations into child slavery in the UK last month, compared with 53 in April 2017.’

Full Story

The Independent, 22nd May 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Employment Appeal Tribunal hears appeal from Christian ex-magistrate dismissed over adoption comments – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Employment Appeal Tribunal is this week hearing an appeal from a former magistrate who was removed from the judiciary after he expressed the view that it was in a child’s best interests to be raised by a mother and a father.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 15th May 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Solicitor’s “atrocious” conduct over child contact case condemned – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has struck off a solicitor whose conduct in a sensitive child contact case it described as “atrocious”.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 16th May 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

MPs call for inquiry into how family courts treat rape and abuse survivors – The Guardian

‘More than 120 MPs have called for the family courts to be opened up to greater scrutiny and for those who father children through rape to be denied parental rights.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Lone parents lose benefits cap challenge at supreme court – The Guardian

‘The UK’s highest court has rejected a legal challenge to the benefit cap made by campaigners who argued that it discriminated against single parents with young children.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Voices of children overlooked in family courts, says ex-head – BBC News

‘Family courts in England and Wales are not properly accommodating children’s voices and needs because the government has suggested “it would all cost too much”, their former head has said.’

Full Story

BBC News, 16th May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police take legal action against former officer who had child with activist – The Guardian

‘Police chiefs are taking legal action against one of their former undercover officers who fathered a child during his covert infiltration of leftwing groups and then abandoned him.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 14th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Judgment: R (DA & Ors) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; R (DS & Ors) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2019] UKSC 21 – UKSC Blog

Posted May 15th, 2019 in appeals, benefits, children, equality, families, news, proportionality, Supreme Court by sally

‘This appeal considered whether the application of the revised benefit cap, introduced by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016, s 8, to lone parents with children under two years old (i) unlawfully discriminates against parents and/or the children, contrary to ECHR, art 14 with art 8, and/or art 2 of the First Protocol and in breach of the UK’s international obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, art 3, and/or (ii) is irrelevant.’

Full Story

UKSC Blog, 15th May 2019

Source: ukscblog.com

Family President to issue guidance to courts on secure accommodation placements and statutory regime – Local Government Lawyer

‘The President of the Family Division has said he will issue practice guidance to the courts before the end of July so that more can be done to bring secure accommodation placements within the statutory regulatory scheme.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 14th May 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk