Children taken away from parents due to misreporting of drug tests, say experts – The Guardian

‘Children are at risk of being wrongly removed from their parents’ care by the family courts because drug tests are being misinterpreted, experts have warned.’

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The Guardian, 9th November 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Great Britain ‘lags behind’ Europe on betting ad regulation, says gambling charity – The Guardian

Posted November 11th, 2024 in advertising, charities, children, gambling, government departments, news, statistics by tracey

‘Great Britain “lags behind” Europe on measures to restrict betting adverts, according to a report released days after official data showed a sharp increase in the number of children with a gambling problem.

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The Guardian, 11th November 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Woman who brought 11-year-old to riot at asylum seeker hotel fumes as she is jailed – The Independent

Posted November 8th, 2024 in asylum, children, hotels, immigration, imprisonment, news, sentencing, violent disorder by michael

‘A woman has been jailed after taking a young boy to a summer riot in which a far-right mob attacked a hotel housing asylum seekers.’

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The Independent, 7th November 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Church covered up ‘abhorrent’ abuse, report finds – BBC News

Posted November 8th, 2024 in barristers, child abuse, children, Church of England, news, sexual offences by michael

‘A British barrister’s “horrific” and violent abuse of more than 100 children and young men was covered up within the Church of England for decades, according to the conclusion of a damning report.’

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BBC News, 7th November 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High Court case over closure of nurseries dropped – BBC News

Posted November 7th, 2024 in children, consultations, judicial review, local government, London, news by tracey

‘A High Court challenge over plans to close children’s centres in east London has been dropped after the council accepted its consultation was “unlawful”.’

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BBC News, 7th November 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ban to stop children from ever smoking a cigarette to be introduced in Parliament – The Independent

Posted November 6th, 2024 in bills, children, health, news, smoking by tracey

‘A ban to stop children from legally smoking tobacco when they become adults is set to be introduced in Parliament.’

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The Independent, 5th November 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Boy ‘filled with resentment and jealousy’ jailed for stabbing 15-year-old ex-girlfriend 36 times – The Independent

‘An obsessed ex-boyfriend who stabbed a 15-year-old girl 36 times in an alleyway after school has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 17 years in prison.’

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The Independent, 2nd November 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Mothers to take DWP to court over ‘inhumane’ benefit rules on non-consensual conception – The Guardian

‘Two mothers who had children as a result of rape or coercion by former partners have been given permission to take the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to court for being denied exception to the two-child limit on universal credit.’

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The Guardian, 4th November 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Air pollution death settlement is not a win – mum – BBC News

‘A mother whose nine-year-old daughter became the first person in the UK to have air pollution recognised as a factor in her death said she was “never going to win” despite settling legal action with the government.’

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BBC News, 31st October 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Appeal judges reiterate that it is for the court – not local authorities or any other person – to determine in adoption cases whether there should be ongoing contact with birth family – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has allowed a local authority’s appeal against a judge’s refusal to make placement orders in respect of two young children.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 31st October 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Integrated care board breached duty to provide lawful health care plan: High Court – Local Government Lawyer

‘North Central London Integrated Care Board was in breach of its duty to ensure a severely disabled boy has a lawful health care plan, the High Court has found.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 31st October 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

A former surgeon found guilty of causing harm during multiple male circumcision operations – Crown Prosecution Service

‘A former surgeon, who was struck off the UK medical register in 2015, while working at Southampton General Hospital has been convicted today of causing actual bodily harm, child cruelty and administering a prescription only medicine to several young and vulnerable patients for ignoring basic hygiene rules in performing home male circumcisions and showing complete disregard to patient health, safety and comfort.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 31st October 2024

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Why is the Southport stabbing not being classed as a terror attack? – The Independent

Posted October 31st, 2024 in attempted murder, children, murder, news, offensive weapons, police, terrorism by michael

‘This week, a teenager accused of murdering three children in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday class in Southport has been charged with a terror offence and making a biological weapon.’

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The Independent, 30th October 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Pilot cleared of abducting girl, 9, outside Harrods – BBC News

‘A former US Air Force pilot accused of kidnapping a nine-year-old girl outside Harrods and then sexually assaulting her has been found not guilty.’

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BBC News, 29th October 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High Court orders council to treat asylum seeker in accordance with claimed age until further assessment carried out – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 28th, 2024 in asylum, children, local government, news by tracey

‘The High Court has granted interim relief requiring Kent County Council to treat an asylum seeker in accordance with his claimed age under the Children Act 1989, pending determination of his age or further order.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 28th October 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Predator in ‘UK’s largest catfishing case’ drove 12-year-old girl to suicide – The Independent

‘A serial catfish abuser from Northern Ireland who caused one of his victims in the US to take her own life has been jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years.’

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The Independent, 26th October 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Coventry student who hid baby in cereal box convicted of murder – The Guardian

Posted October 25th, 2024 in birth, children, families, murder, news, pregnancy, universities by sally

‘A Coventry University student who concealed her newborn baby in a cereal box hidden inside a suitcase after giving birth on her bathroom floor has been convicted of murder.’

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The Guardian, 24th October 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Lucy Letby refused permission to appeal against attempted murder conviction – The Guardian

‘Lucy Letby has been refused permission to appeal against a conviction for attempting to murder a baby girl, as judges ruled she was able to have a fair trial.’

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The Guardian, 24th October 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Trans Parenthood in the UK: The “Unanswered Questions” of the McConnell Litigation – Cambridge Law Journal

‘This article considers three “unanswered questions” raised by R. (McConnell) v Registrar General for England and Wales (AIRE Centre Intervening) [2020] EWCA Civ. 559, which held that a trans man (with a Gender Recognition Certificate) who gave birth must be registered as “mother” on his child’s birth certificate. This article considers these questions to clearly situate McConnell within the context of the UK’s legal regimes concerning access to fertility treatment, gender recognition and legal parenthood in cases involving assisted reproduction. The article argues that clearly establishing the current legal position will provide the proper context to facilitate any subsequent legal reforms.’

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Cambridge Law Journal, 3rd October 2024

Source: www.cambridge.org

Parenthood and parental responsibility: legal messaging and the power of law – Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law

Posted October 25th, 2024 in children, families, news, parental responsibility by sally

‘In this paper I will engage with a position Felicity Kaganas has often elaborated upon, and with which I agree, namely, that lawmakers often mistake law’s messaging for law’s power. In doing so I will focus on the law’s management of parental status and the performance of parental responsibility. I will argue that English law’s disaggregation of parental status and parental function should have enabled law to distance itself from involvement-by-presumption in the particularities of the disputes between parents and other carers about children, and enabled it to perform a better, more situation-sensitive role in the management of those disputes. It should have allowed for a more pragmatic, less ideological and generalised, decision-making process for particular disputes, and paid better attention to the actual children at the heart of those disputes. I argue that, given the limits of the power of law in resolving family disputes (which I also elaborate in the paper), law has a limited role in these situations. There are other orders of power – beyond law – which affect the way in which legal power works and may misdirect (or, at least, redirect) its ambitions.’

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Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 17th October 2024

Source: www.tandfonline.com