Lack of legal aid derails contact proceedings – The Guardian

‘The President of the Family Division has adjourned contact proceedings by an unrepresented father pending the Ministry of Justice or any other responsible body to come up with the solution to the problem of one parent suffering an injustice due to the withdrawal of legal aid.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 10th June 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Top family judge adjourns father’s contact case amid legal aid impasse – The Guardian

‘The most senior family judge in England and Wales has asked the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, to explain how a case involving a father’s contact with his son can proceed without legal aid.’

Full story

The Guardian, 9th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Child Arrangements Programme 2014: The Key Provisions – Family Law week

‘Louise McCallum, barrister at Zenith Chambers, Leeds, looks at the new Child Arrangements Programme that came into force on 22 April 2014.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 23rd April 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Don’t email in capital letters, court tells ‘insensitive’ father in custody dispute – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 15th, 2014 in contact orders, electronic mail, news, parental rights by tracey

‘An “insensitive” father banned by the courts from seeing his children has been warned by a judge not to type his emails to them in capitals – because it looks like he is shouting.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 14th April 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Plan to give adopted children new identities to stop birth parents finding them – Daily Telegraph

‘Social services ask High Court to give two young children new names and even cut links with other siblings to protect them from abusive parents.’

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Daily Telegraph, 3rd April 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

In re C (A Child) – WLR Daily

Posted November 25th, 2013 in case management, children, contact orders, family courts, law reports, service by tracey

In re C (A Child): [2013] EWCA Civ 1412;   [2013] WLR (D)  449

‘The Court of Appeal gave guidance as to the proper approach to be adopted in family proceedings when considering a without notice application for a prohibited steps order and the making of a contact order.’

WLR Daily, 21st November 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

W v Neath Port Talbot – Courts, Local Authorities and a Mexican Stand-off – Family Law Week

“Andrew Pack, care lawyer with Brighton and Hove City Council, considers the options for local authorities in the wake of the Court of Appeal’s landmark judgment in W (A Child) v Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council [2013] EWCA Civ 1227.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 17th November 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Denial of contact with father too “draconian” – Court of Appeal – UK Human Rights Blog

“The Court of Appeal has taken the unusual step of reversing a denial of contact order, by reviewing the question of the proportionality of the order in relation to the children’s right to family life under Article 8.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 26th September 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Court of Protection Update – Family Law Week

“Sally Bradley and Michael Edwards, barristers, 4 Paper Buildings, consider three important judgments of the Court of Protection.”

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Family Law Week, 20th September 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Re A (A Child) – Pink Tape

Posted September 23rd, 2013 in appeals, children, contact orders, news by sally

“For those of you who had been pondering about the applicability of Re B [2013] UKSC 33 to private law cases – Re A (A Child) [2013] EWCA Civ 1104 goes some distance towards providing an answer. It concerns exceptionally long running private law proceedings, of the ‘implacable hostility’ variety, which the Circuit Judge acknowledged on concluding them had been characterised by systemic failure. The order was for no direct contact between the girl and her father and a s91(14) order until the child’s 16th birthday (she was 13 at the time). The father appealed and did so in person. He criticised the manner in which the entire proceedings had been conducted. He did not accept that the Circuit Judge was right to draw a line under the proceedings, now that the child was 13 years old and firmly expressing her opposition to contact and the proceedings.”

Full story

Pink Tape, 22nd September 2013

Source: www.pinktape.co.uk

Vegetarian mother stopped father seeing son in case he fed him meat – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 12th, 2013 in appeals, children, contact orders, news, parental rights, vegetarianism by tracey

“A vegetarian mother who stopped her five year-old son from seeing his father because she feared he might feed him meat must let him see the child or lose custody, a judge ruled.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 11th September 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Father’s rights severely curtailed; James Hargen comments on PM v MB – Sovereign Chambers

Posted August 6th, 2013 in appeals, contact orders, news, parental responsibility, parental rights by sally

“On 31st July the Court of Appeal delivered a reserved judgement in the case of PM –v- MB & anr [2013] EWCA Civ 969, in which the Father of the child concerned sought to appeal a County Court decision refusing him parental responsibility, allowing indirect email contact only, and, section 91(14) CA ’89, prohibiting any further application by him without leave for a period of two years.”

Full story

Sovereign Chambers, 5th August 2013

Source: www.sovereignchambers.co.uk

Children: Private Law update (May 2013) – Family Law Week

“Alex Verdan QC of 4 Paper Buildings considers three important recent judgments in Children private law proceedings.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 19th June 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson: Father in court bid for access – BBC News

Posted March 15th, 2013 in child abduction, contact orders, news by tracey

“A father who was jailed after abducting his daughter and taking her to Pakistan
for three years has appeared in court to make a bid for access to the child.”

Full story

BBC News, 15th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Children and same sex families: known biological fathers and contact: the decision in S v D and E / T v X and Y [2013] EWHC – Zenith Chambers

“Where do parents and prospective parents stand after the very recent decision in the case of S v D and E? What can parenting lesbian mothers and the men who donate sperm to enable them to have children expect if there is a disagreement between them as to the role of biological fathers in their children’s lives?”

Full story

Zenith Chambers, 14th February 2013

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Sperm donors who know parents can apply to see children, court rules – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2013 in assisted reproduction, children, contact orders, news, parental rights by sally

“Sperm donors who know the parents to whom they have donated can apply for contact with their biological children, a court has ruled. Previously this was not allowed. The ruling has major implications for anyone who has a child conceived using the sperm of someone they know and for those considering starting a family this way.”

Full story

The Guardian, 31st January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

In re A (A Child) (Family Proceedings: Disclosure of Information) – WLR Daily

In re A (A Child) (Family Proceedings: Disclosure of Information): [2012] UKSC 60; [2012] WLR (D) 378

“The identity of a third party and the allegations of sexual abuse which she made in confidence against the father of a child who was the subject of contact proceedings would be disclosed in those proceedings since to do so would not violate her right to protection from inhuman or degrading treatment under article 3 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and would be a proportionate interference with her right to respect for her private life under article 8, since it was justified by the need to protect the parents’ and child’s rights to a fair trial and respect for their family life, guaranteed by articles 6 and 8 of the Convention.”

WLR Daily, 12th December 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Supreme Court: Articles 3, 6 and 8 ECHR in child protection PII case – Panopticon

“There have been a number of important privacy judgments in recent weeks, particularly concerning Article 8 ECHR in cases with child protection elements.”

Full story

Panopticon, 13th December 2012

www.panopticonblog.com

Children’s experience of parental separation: research challenges law change proposal – Family Law week

Posted November 23rd, 2012 in children, contact orders, divorce, news, parental responsibility, young persons by tracey

“Government plans to amend the 1989 Children Act by introducing a presumption of shared parenting are well-intentioned but misguided, say the authors of new research into childhood experience of family break-ups.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 22nd November 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Man appeals against ban on replying to children – The Independent

Posted July 17th, 2012 in children, contact orders, custody, news, parental rights, telecommunications by sally

“A father-of-four has criticised an ‘absurd’ court order that bans him from returning his children’s text messages or phone calls.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th July 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk