Category: children

Importation of Child Sex Dolls – A Need for Guidance? – Drystone Chambers

Posted November 22nd, 2017 in children, customs and excise, indecent photographs of children, news, obscenity, sentencing, sexual offences, statutory interpretation by sally

‘In recent months, there have been a number of prosecutions under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (CEMA); an Act drafted in the latter part of the last century and covering the physical importation of “prohibited items” into the UK and the evasion of duties more generally. At the time, the Act caught those seeking to import pornographic videos and magazines.’

Full Story

Drystone Chambers, 26th October 2017

Source: drystone.com

The court’s role in sanctioning medical treatment and the withdrawal of medical treatment of children: “Parental autonomy and a child’s best interests: Should the courts have the final say?” – Transparency Project

Posted November 22nd, 2017 in children, family courts, medical treatment, news, parental rights by sally

‘This was the vexed question posed at the 11th Family Justice Council Annual Debate last night. (The discussion was chaired by the Right Honourable Sir James Munby, President of the Family Division of the High Court and Chairman of the Family Justice Council).’

Full Story

Transparency Project, 22nd November 2017

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Caldey Island sexual abuse independent inquiry call – BBC News

Posted November 22nd, 2017 in child abuse, children, clergy, inquiries, news, sexual offences by sally

‘Victims of historical sexual abuse at a monastery on Caldey Island deserve an independent inquiry, a support group has said.’

Full Story

BBC News, 21st November 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

How Do Human Rights Protect Children? – RightsInfo

Posted November 21st, 2017 in children, human rights, news, treaties by sally

‘Human rights apply to people of all ages. It doesn’t matter if you’re 7 or 72, we can all expect the same basic protections.’

Full Story

RightsInfo, 20th November 2017

Source: rightsinfo.org

Youth prisons don’t deter criminals. They enable them – The Guardian

Posted November 21st, 2017 in children, detention, news, prisons, rehabilitation, young offenders by sally

‘Young offender institutions are cruel and counterproductive. Cressida Dick’s call for ‘harsher’ sentencing reveals her ignorance of the evidence.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 20th November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Article 15 transfer requests – what happens next? (FE v MR and Others) – Family Law

Posted November 20th, 2017 in brexit, children, contact orders, custody, divorce, EC law, jurisdiction, news by sally

‘Family analysis: Analysing a case where the Family Court submitted a ‘highly unusual’ request under Article 15 of Brussels II bis to the Spanish court for it to transfer jurisdiction to the courts of England and Wales, Chris Stevenson, barrister at Fourteen, questions how such cases will be approached in a post-Brexit world.’

Full Story

Family Law, 17th November 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Supreme Court rejects appeal by Zambrano carer over provision – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 17th, 2017 in benefits, carers, children, EC law, housing, human rights, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Supreme Court has this week rejected a claim that the denial of mainstream welfare and housing provision to a Zambrano carer and her child was unlawful.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 17th November 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Have We Created a Monster? Intractable Contact Disputes and Parental Alienation in Context – Family Law Week

Posted November 16th, 2017 in children, contact orders, divorce, family courts, news, parental rights, residence orders by sally

‘Briony Palmer, barrister of 3 Dr Johnson’s Buildings, considers intractable contact disputes where the underlying dynamics are not obvious.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 15th November 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Court hears transgender woman’s appeal over access to her Jewish children – The Guardian

Posted November 16th, 2017 in appeals, children, contact orders, Judaism, news, transgender persons by sally

‘A parent who left a tight-knit ultra-Orthodox Jewish community to embark on a new life as a woman has taken her battle to be allowed access to her five children to the court of appeal.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Manchester police face legal bid over teen’s naked photo details – BBC News

Posted November 10th, 2017 in children, criminal records, indecent photographs of children, news, police by sally

‘A police force is facing a legal challenge against its refusal to delete the details of a teenager who sent a naked photograph of himself on social media to a girl at his school.’

Full Story

BBC News, 10th November 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘No-consent’ circumcision doctor will not be prosecuted – BBC News

Posted November 10th, 2017 in children, consent, doctors, grievous bodily harm, medical treatment, news, prosecutions by sally

‘A mother has been left “sickened” by a decision not to prosecute the doctor who circumcised her son without her consent.’

Full Story

BBC News, 10th November 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Met Police holding children in custody for too long, says prison watchdog – The Independent

Posted November 9th, 2017 in children, custody, London, news, police, young offenders by sally

‘Children are being held for too long in police custody once they are charged with an offence, the prison watchdog has warned. A report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary found that too many children in north and north-east London were being kept in cells overnight and even at weekends, despite a statutory duty for authorities to provide them with alternative accommodation.’

Full Story

The Independent, 8th November 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police investigate 17 child sexting cases a day – BBC news

Posted November 6th, 2017 in children, indecent photographs of children, news, police, statistics, telecommunications by sally

‘Police investigations into children sharing sexual images of themselves and others have more than doubled in two years, figures have shown.’

Full Story

BBC News, 6th November 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Teddy Tilston murder: Man who beat partner’s two-year-old son to death in fit of rage jailed for 17 years – The Independent

Posted November 3rd, 2017 in child cruelty, children, domestic violence, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man who murdered his girlfriend’s two-year-old son after flying into “a rage” has been jailed for a minimum of 17 years.’

Full Story

The Independent, 3rd November 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Muslim father ‘ordered’ by judge not to impose Islam on his children – The Independent

Posted November 2nd, 2017 in care orders, children, families, freedom of expression, Islam, news by sally

‘A Muslim father whose three children are being cared for by a Christian foster family was told by a judge he must not “pressure” them about Islam.’

Full Story

The Independent, 1st November 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Too many children in criminal court, says senior judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 2nd, 2017 in children, crime, criminal justice, judges, news, speeches, young offenders, young persons by sally

‘Too many children are being criminalised by the courts, the most senior family judge in England and Wales has warned. Sir James Munby, president of the family division of the High Court, said that the Crown Prosecution Service should look at changing its charging policy for children so that fewer of them end up in the criminal courts.’

Full speech

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 1st November 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The rise of covert recordings in family proceedings – Family Law

Posted October 27th, 2017 in children, evidence, family courts, news, video recordings by sally

‘Last week Sir James Munby, President of the Family Division of the High Court, said that covert recording had become a ‘much more pressing issue’ in family proceedings. In particular he highlighted the increased prevalence of recordings of children, other family members and even professionals being placed before the courts as evidence to support one party’s position or to undermine the others.’

Full Story

Family Law, 27th October 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Working Together to Safeguard Children: changes to statutory guidance – Department for Education

Posted October 27th, 2017 in children, consultations, education, government departments, news, regulations by sally

‘This consultation seeks views on significant revisions to ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ – the statutory guidance which sets out what is expected of organisations, individually and jointly, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. These revisions are being made largely to reflect the legislative changes introduced through the Children and Social Work Act 2017.’

Full Story

Department for Education, 25th October 2017

Source: consult.education.gov.uk

Mediation and the judge’s letter to ‘Sam’: judges need to ‘use their imaginations’ – Family Law

Posted October 27th, 2017 in children, dispute resolution, family courts, judges, judgments, news by sally

‘In a recent article Jane Robey makes a serious point about judicial referral of parties to mediation; but she does so by criticising the judgment of Peter Jackson J (now Peter Jackson LJ) and his letter to ‘Sam’. There are lots of things wrong with the family justice system; and take up of mediation is disappointing. To use Peter Jackson J’s direct communication with the subject of the application in his court, as a means of promoting referral to mediation is surely to pick the wrong target?’

Full Story

Family Law, 26th October 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Covert Recording : A hot potato lob by the Court of Appeal – Transparency Project

Posted October 26th, 2017 in children, evidence, families, family courts, news, social services by sally

‘The Court of Appeal delivered judgment in Re B (A Child) [2017] EWCA Civ 1579 last week. In it they consider (but do not resolve) the question of how the Family Court should deal with evidence obtained by covert recording. Whilst it took the Court of Appeal almost a year from the hearing of the appeal to the delivery of judgment (see our post about the appeal hearing itself here), this particular potato remains red hot. The topic of recording – covertly or overtly, of social workers or children or otherwise – is discussed daily on private groups on Facebook, openly on other social media platforms – and, from time to time, in judgments of the Family Court and by lawyers.’

Full Story

Transparency Project, 24th October 2017

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk