Judge raps NHS England and mental health trusts over failure to provide medium secure bed for 15-year-old girl – Local Government Lawyer

‘A Family Division judge has strongly criticised NHS England and two NHS mental health trusts over the failure to accommodate a 15-year-old girl “M” with complex needs through a medium secure tier 4 bed.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th August 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Inherent jurisdiction can be used for deprivation of liberty of children amid “scandalous” shortage of approved secure accommodation: Supreme Court – Local Government Lawyer

‘The inherent jurisdiction of the High Court can be used to authorise the deprivation of liberty of children in alternative restrictive placements by a local authority in cases where an approved secure children’s home is unavailable, the Supreme Court has held.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 30th July 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

New Judgment: In the matter of T (A Child) [2021] UKSC 35 – UKSC Blog

The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed this appeal concerning two main issues: (i) First, is it a permissible exercise of the High Court’s inherent jurisdiction to make an order authorising a local authority to deprive a child of his or her liberty in this category of case? (ii) Secondly, if contrary to T’s argument the High Court can have recourse to its inherent jurisdiction to make an order of the type in question, what is the relevance of the child’s consent to the proposed living arrangements?

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UKSC Blog, 30th July 2021

Source: ukscblog.com

Court of Protection judge considers how supervisory bodies should evidence their scrutiny of requests for authorisation of deprivation of liberty – Local Government Lawyer

‘An error in someone’s name on a form did not invalidate a standard authorisation, the Court of Protection has decided.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th June 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Deprivation of liberty and writs of habeas corpus – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Protection has found that if a local authority does not apply for an order under the inherent jurisdiction, a parent can challenge the deprivation of liberty of their child in a specialist school by bringing a writ of habeas corpus. Joshua Swirsky analyses the ruling.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 1st April 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Damages of £143,000 for unlawful deprivation of liberty of incapacitous care home resident upheld – Garden Court Chambers

‘The comparators for damages for unlawful deprivation of liberty of persons lacking mental capacity are few. In Essex County Council v RF & others [2015] EWCOP 1, DJ Mort made a distinction between procedural and substantive breaches and where he found the local authority ‘totally inadequate and their failings significant’, assessed monthly damages between £3000 – £4000 over a period of at least 13 months. In the case of Emile, DJ Beckley awarded damages against the London Borough of Haringey for a period of almost 8 years’ unlawful deprivation of liberty in the sum of £143,000.00. The local authority was granted permission, out of time, to appeal. The decision of HHJ Saggerson was handed down on 18 December 2020.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 26th February 2021

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Court of Protection Newsletter – Spire Barristers

‘Welcome to the latest issue of Spire Barristers’ Public Law Newsletter covering news from around the web, practice updates and case reviews in Court of Protection and Public Law matters.’

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Spire Barristers, 10th February 2021

Source: spirebarristers.co.uk

Judge issues second ruling sharply criticising lack of suitable regulated placement for vulnerable 16-year-old woman with complex needs – Local Government Lawyer

‘A High Court judge has sent a second judgment in less than a month – this time “more in exasperated hope than expectation” – to the Children’s Commissioner for England, the Secretary of State for Education, the Minister for Children and others over the lack of regulated accommodation for vulnerable children.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th November 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Family Law Newsletter – Spire Barristers

‘Issue #40 of Spire Barristers’ Family Law Newsletter: edited by Connie Purdy and Taz Irshad; news and Case Reviews by Francesca Massarella.’

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Spire Barristers, 21st October 2020

Source: spirebarristers.co.uk

Rise in care children being ‘deprived of liberty’ – BBC News

‘The number of children in care in England and Wales who have restrictions placed on their freedom has tripled in the last two years, BBC News has found.’

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BBC News, 6th August 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judicial Authorisation of Deprivation of Liberty – 39 Essex Chambers

‘With the delay to the introduction of the Liberty Protection Safeguards until April 2022, and unless the Mental Health Act 1983 is applicable, there is no administrative mechanism available to authorise the deprivation of liberty for a person with impaired decision-making capacity who is either (1) outside a hospital or care home; or (2) is in a hospital or care home or is aged 16 or 17. This means that, unless a court authorises the position, those people caring for the person have no legal “cover” for their actions, and (where relevant) the public body commissioning care or aware of the person’s circumstances will also be acting unlawfully.’

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39 Essex Chambers, July 2020

Source: 1f2ca7mxjow42e65q49871m1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com

Safeguards over deprivations of liberty are “indispensable” to frail and vulnerable, says senior judge, amid “striking and troubling” drop in number of s.21A applications – Local Government Lawyer

‘The view that careful adherence to proper legal process and appropriate authorisation of deprivations of liberty may now, at times, be required to give way to other pressing welfare priorities is “entirely misconceived”, the Vice President of the Court of Protection has warned.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th May 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Family Team Under 10’s Newsletter – Winter 2020 Edition – Parklane Plowden

‘In the Winter edition of our Family Under 10’s Newsletter, Simon Wilkinson provides a case update with regards to the Matter of D, Giorgia Sessi studies the guidance published by the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, whilst Charlotte Wilce lays out a case study regarding the role of CAFCASS in relation to non-subject children.’

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Parklane Plowden, 7th January 2020

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Court of Appeal gives guidance on Secure Accommodation Orders – Transparency Project

‘The local authority was applying for a secure accommodation order in respect of B (aged 15). B and her parents opposed this, mainly because the proposed placement was some distance away.’

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Transparency Project, 29th November 2019

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Mental Capacity Guidance Note: Deprivation of Liberty in the Hospital Setting – 39 Essex Chambers

‘The law governing the deprivation of a person’s liberty in a hospital can be complex. In every case it involves (or should involve) consideration of the question of what amounts to a deprivation of liberty for the purposes of domestic legislation and Article 5 of the European Convention of Human Rights (‘ECHR’). In very many cases, it involves the interface of two statutory regimes (the Mental Health Act 1983 (‘MHA 1983’) and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (‘MCA 2005’)).’

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39 Essex Chambers, 11th November 2019

Source: www.39essex.com

Judge criticises council for breaching duty of disclosure when making streamlined application for authorisation of deprivation of liberty – Local Government Lawyer

‘A council has been criticised by a Court of Protection judge for breaching the duty of full and frank disclosure when it made an application under the streamlined procedure for authorisation of a deprivation of liberty.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 30th October 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Public law children cases: improving parental situations, robust case management and judicial pressure – Local Government Lawyer

‘Georgina Dalton rounds up the latest children law cases, including rulings on improvements to parents’ situations, unfair judicial pressure, and deprivations of liberty of 16-17 year olds.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th October 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The Supreme Court’s Judgment on the Limits of the Exercise of Parental Responsibility – Family Law

‘The focus of this case is whether the confinement of a young person aged 16-17 years-old, found not to be Gillick (Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech AHA House of Lords [1986]) competent, amounted to a deprivation of his liberty where his parents had consented to such confinement.’

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Family Law, 20th October 2019

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Supreme Court considers parental responsibility and deprivation of liberty – Family Law Week

‘The Supreme Court, by a majority of three to two, has held, in D (A Child) [2019] UKSC 42, a case concerning a young person lacking mental capacity, that there is no scope for the operation of parental responsibility to authorise what would otherwise be a violation of a fundamental human right of a child, that is his liberty.’

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Family Law Week, 26th September 2019

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Council broke law over deprivation of liberty, ombudsman rules – The Guardian

‘A council deliberately broke the law by failing to properly assess whether thousands of vulnerable people were illegitimately kept under continuous and restrictive supervision by care home staff, the local government and social care ombudsman has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 1st April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com