Children being coerced into most severe forms of sexual abuse online – report – The Independent

‘The Internet Watch Foundation says it found nearly 900 instances of the most severe types of child sexual abuse content in just five days.’

Full Story

The Independent, 18th November 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

New UK guidelines place stricter rules on age-restricted online campaigns – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 18th, 2022 in advertising, children, codes of practice, internet, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘The UK’s advertising regulator has published new rules on how to target age-restricted ads responsibly online. Advertisers need to ensure compliance right from the start of the campaign planning, according to experts at Pinsent Masons.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 17th November 2022

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

ICO reprimand for misuse of children’s data: a proportionate response or a let off? – Local Government Lawyer

‘Last week, the Department for Education received a formal reprimand from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) over a “serious breach” of the GDPR involving the unauthorised sharing of up to 28 million children’s personal data. But the Department has avoided a fine, despite a finding of “woeful” data protection practices. Ibrahim Hasan reports.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th November 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ex-police officer jailed after arriving to meet ‘15-year-old’ in KFC car park – The Independent

‘An ex-police officer has been jailed after he was caught by an undercover agent arranging to meet a 15-year-old girl at KFC with condoms and lube.’

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The Independent, 18th November 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prenatal paternity testing for court: your questions answered – Family Law Week

Posted November 17th, 2022 in children, DNA, expert witnesses, families, family courts, forensic science, news by tracey

‘Casey Randall, Head of DNA at AlphaBiolabs, answers some of the most common questions about prenatal paternity testing for legal matters.’

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Family Law Week, 14th November 2022

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Online predator jailed for sexually abusing girls as young as 12 – Crown Prosecution Service

‘An online predator who forced young girls to sign a sexual contract with him has been jailed.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 11th November 2022

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Safeguarding children with disabilities in residential settings – Family Law

‘A national review into safeguarding children with disabilities and complex health needs has revealed serious failures at residential special schools registered as children’s homes.’

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Family Law, 4th November 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

‘No evidence’ Archie Battersbee did TikTok blackout challenge, coroner says – The Guardian

‘Archie Battersbee accessed TikTok on the day he suffered a catastrophic brain injury but no evidence has been found that he was taking part in the online “blackout challenge”, a coroner’s court has heard.’

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The Guardian, 8th November 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Landlord was warned of mould that killed toddler in Rochdale flat – The Guardian

‘A health visitor wrote to housing officials expressing concern about conditions in a rented flat months before a two-year-old died after his exposure to mould.’

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The Guardian, 8th November 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Council pays £55,000 and makes an apology to survivor of abuse in children’s home – Local Government Lawyer

‘Essex County Council has personally apologised to a man and agreed to pay him £55,000 in compensation following a civil compensation claim over sexual abuse he suffered as a child while in the council’s care.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th November 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Speech by the President of the Family Division: When families fall apart, do they fall too easily into court? – Courts & Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 7th, 2022 in arbitration, children, dispute resolution, divorce, families, family courts, judges, speeches by tracey

‘Speech by the President of the Family Division: When families fall apart, do they fall too easily into court?’

Full speech

Courts & Tribunals Judiciary, 31st October 2022

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Age assessment and social media evidence – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 4th, 2022 in asylum, children, disclosure, immigration, internet, local government, news, young persons by tracey

‘The Upper Tribunal has provided guidance on social media evidence in age assessment cases. Donnchadh Greene examines its ruling.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th November 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Sebastian Kalinowski: couple jailed for murdering teenage son – The Guardian

‘A woman and her partner have each been sentenced to 39 years in prison for the “horrific” murder of 15-year-old Sebastian Kalinowski.’

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The Guardian, 4th November 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

GPs giving antidepressants to children against guidelines – The Guardian

Posted November 4th, 2022 in children, codes of practice, doctors, medicines, mental health, news by tracey

‘GPs are breaching medical guidelines by prescribing antidepressants for children as young as 11 who cannot get other help for their mental health problems, NHS-funded research reveals.’

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The Guardian, 4th November 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Manchester Arena attack: Key failings of emergency response – BBC News

‘The Manchester Arena Inquiry has published a catalogue of failings and mistakes by the emergency services following the terror attack in 2017.’

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BBC News, 4th November 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Separating couples should “try almost anything” before going to court – Legal Futures

Posted November 2nd, 2022 in arbitration, children, dispute resolution, divorce, families, family courts, judges, news by sally

‘Separating couples should “try almost anything” before turning to the courts, the president of the Family Division has said, arguing that there has “got to be a better way” to resolve child disputes in particular.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 2nd November 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Mothers in law still struggle to juggle despite more supportive employers – Legal Futures

Posted October 31st, 2022 in children, families, law firms, legal profession, news, statistics, women by tracey

‘The vast majority of mothers (84%) working in the law still find it difficult to balance working life with the demands of being a mother, despite some signs of progress.’

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Legal Futures, 31st October 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Child slave’s cannabis farm conviction overturned – BBC News

‘A man’s cannabis growing conviction has been overturned after it was found he was compelled to commit the crime as a modern slavery victim when he was 17.’

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BBC News, 28th October 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Problems with interim contact in private law disputes – Family Law Week

Posted October 28th, 2022 in children, contact orders, families, family courts, news by tracey

‘Many private law practitioners feel frustration about the significant disparity in contact arrangements between children in private and public proceedings. Sadly, this has long been the case: I last wrote an article about this in 2019 (One act, 2 Regimes: why? Family Law Week 17th December 2019) and cannot say that matters have moved on or changed meaningfully. As I set out in that article, there is no justification legally for courts to apply Children Act considerations varyingly. The problem here lies not with the law but in the practice.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 21st October 2022

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Rochdale grooming gang members to be deported to Pakistan – The Guardian

‘Two members of a Rochdale grooming gang are to be deported to Pakistan after losing a seven-year legal fight to remain in Britain.’

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The Guardian, 26th October 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com