Care Proceedings: the Operation and Effect of Pre-Proceedings – What do lawyers need to know? – Family Law Week

Posted June 14th, 2013 in care orders, case management, children, local government, news, time limits by sally

“Professor Judith Masson, School of Law University of Bristol, and Dr Jonathan Dickens, Centre for Research on Children and Families, University of East Anglia, explain the lessons learned for future practice from research conducted into the use of the pre-proceedings process in care cases.”

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Family Law Week, 13th June 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.com

Bar pledges full support for CPS Advocate Panel extension to safeguard children involved in sexual offences – The Bar Council

Posted June 14th, 2013 in barristers, children, news, prosecutions, rape, sexual offences, victims by sally

“The Bar Council, the Circuit Leaders and the Criminal Bar Association have today announced their joint support for the extension of the Crown Prosecution Services’ (CPS) Advocate Panel’s rape remit to include sexual offences involving children.”

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The Bar Council, 13th June 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

In re B (A Child)(Care Proceedings: Threshold Criteria) – WLR Daily

Posted June 13th, 2013 in appeals, care orders, children, law reports, Supreme Court by sally

In re B (A Child)(Care Proceedings: Threshold Criteria) [2013] UKSC 33; [2013] WLR (D) 226

“Determinations by the judge that the statutory threshold criteria were crossed for the making of a care order under section 31(2) of the Children Act 1989 and that such an order should be made were evaluative judgments with which the appellate court, exercising a review jurisdiction, should only interfere if it were satisfied that the judgments were wrong.”

WLR Daily, 12th June 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

In the matter of B (a Child) (FC) – Supreme Court

Posted June 13th, 2013 in appeals, care orders, children, news, Supreme Court by sally

In the matter of B (a Child) (FC) [2013] UKSC 33 | UKSC 2013/0022 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 12th June 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Victims to be spared from harrowing court cases – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 12th, 2013 in children, cross-examination, news, trials, victims by sally

“The most vulnerable victims are to be protected from the trauma of appearing in court, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling announced today.”

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Ministry of Justice, 11th June 2013

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

Record rise in child custody cases before legal aid cuts – The Independent

Posted June 12th, 2013 in children, custody, dispute resolution, divorce, legal aid, news, statistics by sally

“A record number of child-custody cases were fought in court last month, in what experts believe may be a rush before cuts to legal aid start to bite.”

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The Independent, 11th June 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Child sex abuse victims’ vulnerability must not be barrier to justice, says DPP – The Guardian

Posted June 11th, 2013 in child abuse, children, criminal justice, news, victims by sally

“Vulnerability among child sex abuse victims should no longer be a barrier to justice, the director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, has declared as he unveiled new guidelines for handling cases.”

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The Guardian, 11th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (MA and others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Posted June 10th, 2013 in asylum, children, EC law, immigration, law reports by sally

Regina (MA and others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Case C-648/11); [2013] WLR (D) 217

“On the proper interpretation of the second paragraph of article 6 of Council Regulation (EC) No 343/2003, where an unaccompanied minor, who had no family member within the European Union, had made applications for asylum in more than one member state, the member state responsible for examining that application was that in which the minor was present at the time, after having lodged an asylum application there.”

WLR Daily, 6th June 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Lord Chief Justice calls for children to have evidence video recorded – Daily Telegraph

“Senior judges have called for children to be spared from the ‘damage’ of appearing in criminal trials, and instead have their evidence video recorded.”

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Daily Telegraph, 10th June 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Men jailed over rape of boy, 14, in Manchester Debenhams – BBC News

Posted June 6th, 2013 in assault, children, closed circuit television, news, rape, sentencing by sally

“Two men have been jailed for 15 years for raping a boy, 14, in the toilets of a Manchester department store.”

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BBC News, 6th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Enhanced Disclosure in Sport – Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted June 5th, 2013 in children, criminal records, disclosure, news, sport, teachers by sally

“Sports regulatory bodies and sports clubs must generally obtain enhanced disclosure of coaches and other persons who are responsible for supervising and working with children (now called Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Checks). They often have to take action based on that information, and always have to assess the relevance and importance of that information. A number of cases relating to enhanced disclosure have now been decided by the Administrative Court and a body of law is developing which will help to inform sporting bodies about how to treat such information.”

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Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 5th June 2013

Source: www.sportslawbulletin.org

BBC Hall probe to be lead by former High Court judge – BBC News

Posted June 4th, 2013 in BBC, children, inquiries, judges, news, sexual offences by sally

“Retired High Court judge Dame Linda Dobbs is to lead an investigation for the BBC into broadcaster Stuart Hall’s conduct at the corporation.”

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BBC News, 4th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid residency tests ‘will leave migrant children destitute’ – The Guardian

“Abandoned migrant and trafficked children will be left destitute and at risk of exploitation if the government goes ahead with a plan to introduce residency tests to determine whether they qualify for legal aid, child protection experts are warning.”

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The Guardian, 2nd June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Let’s be frank: The decision in MN and KN v London Borough of Hackney – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted June 3rd, 2013 in children, disclosure, homelessness, human rights, local government, news by sally

“Sleeping rough on the streets of London is not an appealing prospect. It is all the more unappealing for anyone with two young children in the grip of an unseasonably cold winter. It was in order to avoid this fate that, in January 2012, the parents of MN and KN (the claimants in this case) approached their local authority, the London Borough of Hackney, and asked for assistance.”

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Hardwicke Chambers, 24th May 2013

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

‘Court is just as traumatic’: Girl who faced aggressive cross-examination aged nine says she has never recovered – The Independent

Posted May 28th, 2013 in children, cross-examination, news, victims, video recordings, witnesses by sally

“Barristers and campaigners call for pre-recorded court interviews as girl who faced aggressive cross-examination aged nine says she has never recovered from her ordeal.”

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The Independent, 24th May 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The Hunt for Britain’s Sex Gangs – Channel 4 Dispatches

Posted May 24th, 2013 in children, gangs, news, police, sexual grooming by sally

“In 2010 Telford police allowed cameras to start filming what was to become one of the biggest child sex abuse cases in the UK.”

4oD

Channel 4 Dispatches, 23rd May 2013

Source: www.channel4.com

Report into Rochdale grooming a ‘damning indictment’ of council – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 24th, 2013 in children, local government, news, reports, sexual grooming, social services by sally

“A new report into the child sex grooming scandal in Rochdale is a ‘damning indictment’ of the local council, the town’s MP said.”

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Daily Telegraph, 24th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Benjamin Roach sentenced to seven years for baby death – BBC News

Posted May 21st, 2013 in children, homicide, news, sentencing by sally

“A man who killed his four-week-old daughter by shaking her violently has been jailed for seven years.”

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BBC News, 21st May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police swabbing of child DNA excessive, says charity – BBC News

Posted May 21st, 2013 in children, DNA, freedom of information, news, police, reports by sally

“Police in England and Wales have taken DNA samples from children every 10 minutes, figures obtained using freedom of information requests suggest.”

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BBC News, 20th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Retired priest jailed over sex attacks at children’s home – The Guardian

“A retired Church of England priest found guilty of a catalogue of historic sex attacks on children at a Barnardo’s home has been jailed for 10 years.”

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The Guardian, 20th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk