Navigating unadmitted allegations: the cart before the horse – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 28th, 2023 in children, contact orders, domestic violence, evidence, expert witnesses, families, news by tracey

‘Kristine Lidgerwood provides a self-check for a situation which many practitioners will be familiar with and which applies equally to public law and private law proceedings. The unadmitted allegation.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 28th September 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Councils accused of “wasting” £60m in a year on tribunal battles over support for children with special educational needs – Local Government Lawyer

‘Councils wasted £60 million in a year on “unsuccessful court disputes” with parents and carers seeking support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), according to research by Pro Bono Economics, commissioned by the Disabled Children’s Partnership.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th September 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Pepper spray could be used at young offender institutions in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted September 27th, 2023 in children, Ministry of Justice, news, prison officers, prisons, violence, young offenders by sally

‘Prison officers in England and Wales could be allowed to use pepper spray to incapacitate children under plans to curb a sharp increase in violence at young offender institutions, the Guardian has learned.’

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The Guardian, 26th September 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Councils ‘wasting millions’ on special educational needs legal disputes – The Independent

‘Councils in England have been accused of “wasting” millions of pounds in court disputes with parents and carers over disability and educational support for their children.’

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The Independent, 26th September 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Nottingham NHS maternity care review calls on families to come forward – The Independent

Posted September 27th, 2023 in birth, children, families, hospitals, midwives, news, pregnancy by sally

‘The head of the independent review of maternity care in Nottingham has called on families who feel they may have been affected to come forward, as hundreds are set to receive letters inviting them to share their experiences.’

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The Independent, 26th September 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Brain stem death, an explainer of the law in England & Wales, and a question of consent – Mental Capacity Law and Policy

Posted September 26th, 2023 in children, codes of practice, consent, medical treatment, news by sally

‘The case of Andy Casey sheds light again on the difficult question of diagnosing death by neurological criteria (“DNC”), and the wider question of what, in fact, it means to be dead. For those who want to know more about it, this explainer by my colleagues Victoria Butler-Cole KC and Ben Tankel is helpful; my review of the recent book on the medico-legal development of neurological death in the UK by Dr Kartina Choong may also be helpful. And some may want to see the 2008 Code of Practice for the Diagnosis and Confirmation of Death by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, as well as the 2015 RCPCH Code relating to those under 2 months old (both currently under review).’

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Mental Capacity Law and Policy, 25th September 2023

Source: www.mentalcapacitylawandpolicy.org.uk

Lucy Letby to face retrial on charge of trying to murder baby girl, court told – The Guardian

Posted September 26th, 2023 in attempted murder, birth, children, news, nurses, retrials by sally

‘Lucy Letby will face a retrial on a charge of attempting to murder a newborn baby girl, a court has been told.’

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The Guardian, 25th September 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Man who blackmailed children into sending him indecent images jailed – Crown Prosecution Service

‘A man who pretended to be a teenage girl on social media to blackmail young boys into sending him nude images has been sentenced to 21 years in prison.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 22nd September 2023

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Prosecutors to decide if killer nurse Lucy Letby will face retrial – The Independent

Posted September 25th, 2023 in attempted murder, birth, children, hospitals, midwives, murder, news, nurses, retrials by tracey

‘Prosecutors will decide on Monday whether to seek a retrial for child serial killer nurse Lucy Letby on a number of outstanding allegations.’

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The Independent, 25th September 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Use of x-rays in asylum age assessments “inaccurate” and “unethical”, experts warn – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 21st, 2023 in asylum, children, consent, immigration, medical treatment, news, x-rays by sally

‘Medical experts have criticised the use of x-rays to determine the age of lone migrant children and young people seeking asylum in the UK.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 20th September 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Childhood in care raises risk of entering English youth justice system eightfold – The Guardian

Posted September 21st, 2023 in care orders, children, criminal records, news, statistics, young offenders, youth courts by sally

‘The largest ever study of care experience and the youth justice system in England has revealed that children who have lived in care are eight times more likely to have received a youth justice caution or conviction than those who have not.’

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The Guardian, 21st September 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Online Safety Bill: Crackdown on harmful social media content agreed – BBC News

Posted September 20th, 2023 in bills, children, government departments, internet, news by sally

‘Peers have passed a controversial new law aimed at making social media firms more responsible for users’ safety on their platforms.’

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BBC News, 19th September 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Independent review of disagreements in the care of critically ill children – the report and recommendations – Mental Capacity Law and Policy

Posted September 19th, 2023 in children, consent, families, hospitals, medical treatment, news, reports by sally

‘The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has today, 18 September 2023, published the report of the review it was commissioned in December 2022 to carry out the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, following a Government commitment in the Health and Care Act 2022. We have now laid this review before Parliament and are encouraging the Government to act on our recommendations.’

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Mental Capacity Law and Policy, 18th September 2023

Source: www.mentalcapacitylawandpolicy.org.uk

Driver cleared over Wolverhampton crash that killed brothers – BBC News

‘A driver accused of taking part in an “impromptu” race which killed two young brothers has been cleared of causing their deaths.’

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BBC News, 14th September 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Met police admit overusing powers to strip-search children after IOPC inquiry – The Guardian

‘Scotland Yard has admitted overusing its power to strip-search children after four of its officers were told they would face disciplinary proceedings over allegations that their search of a 15-year-old black schoolgirl known as Child Q was inappropriate and amounted to discrimination owing to her race and sex.’

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The Guardian, 14th September 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Letby inquiry must also examine NHS ‘cover-up culture’, says ombudsman – The Guardian

‘The public inquiry into Lucy Letby’s crimes must be widened to examine the NHS’s “cover-up culture” over failures in patient safety, the health service ombudsman has said.’

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The Guardian, 15th September 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Government backs Martha’s rule on right to second medical opinion in England – The Guardian

Posted September 14th, 2023 in children, doctors, hospitals, medical treatment, news, opinions by tracey

‘The health secretary, Steve Barclay, has announced the government is committed to bringing in “Martha’s rule” in England, making it easier for patients and their families to get a second medical opinion if they believe their concerns are not being taken seriously by medical staff.’

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The Guardian, 14th September 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police to launch inquiry into maternity failings at Nottingham hospitals trust – The Guardian

Posted September 8th, 2023 in bereavement, birth, children, families, hospitals, midwives, news, police, pregnancy by tracey

‘Nottinghamshire police have announced they are launching a criminal investigation into maternity failings at Nottingham university hospitals (NUH) NHS trust, after hundreds families raised concerns to an independent review.’

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The Guardian, 7th August 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge refuses to make deprivation of liberty order where local authority feared termination of placement if none made – Local Government Lawyer

‘A judge has refused a local authority’s application for authorisation of arrangements which have resulted in a teenage girl being deprived of her liberty whilst residing at a children’s home.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th September 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court judge lifts suspension of order quashing deal between Kent and Home Office over unaccompanied asylum seeking children – Local Government Lawyer

‘A High Court judge has decided not to extend the suspension of an order quashing a deal brokered between the Home Secretary and Kent County Council that capped the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UAS children) the council had to accommodate.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th September 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk