Jamaican nationals taken off charter flight in eleventh hour over trafficking concerns – The Independent

‘A number of Jamaican nationals who were due to be deported have been granted last minute reprieve after the Home Office acknowledged they may be victims of modern slavery. Thirteen people were forcibly removed from the UK to Jamaica in the early hours of Wednesday. At least 10 of those who had been due to fly were taken off the flight hours before it was due to leave following legal intervention.’

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The Independent, 2nd December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK government pays out to family of IPP prisoner who killed himself – The Guardian

Posted December 1st, 2020 in bereavement, compensation, families, mental health, news, prisons, sentencing, suicide by sally

‘The family of a prisoner who killed himself after being handed a controversial “never-ending” sentence has received damages from the government in an out-of-court settlement, the Guardian has learned.’

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The Guardian, 30th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Landmark inquest to rule if air pollution killed London pupil – The Guardian

‘An inquest is to consider evidence that illegal levels of air pollution caused the death of a nine-year-old girl, in a landmark legal case.’

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The Guardian, 30th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Lawyers aren’t a charity’: Family judge awards £60k incurred costs – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 30th, 2020 in children, costs, families, family courts, financial provision, news by sally

‘The High Court has awarded five-figure costs midway through family litigation and made the point that the lawyers involved should not be expected to wait for payment.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 27th November 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

What really happened to Edson Da Costa? – The Guardian

‘He was 25, a father and a car mechanic. Five minutes after being stopped by police on 15 June 2017, he was lying unresponsive on the ground. After an inquest and inquiry, family and friends are still fighting for justice’

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The Guardian, 29th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Family of man killed by convicted terrorist sue UK government – The Guardian

‘The family of a young man stabbed to death by a convicted terrorist are suing the government over alleged failures to manage the attacker in the community.’

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The Guardian, 26th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Elizabeth Dixon death investigation reveals “20-year cover-up” – The Guardian

‘The government has apologised for a “20-year cover-up” over the death of 11-month-old Elizabeth Dixon, whose parents have fought an unrelenting battle for the truth.’

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The Guardian, 26th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Extensions to the Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Regime – Family Law Week

‘Matthew Moore, director of Infolegal, advises family lawyers of their obligations under anti-money laundering regulations following changes [to the] wording of what constitutes taxation advice.’

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Family Law Week, 24th November 2020

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Domestic abuse victims with ‘trapped capital’ should not be denied legal aid, court rules – The Guardian

‘Victims of domestic abuse should not be denied legal aid because they have assets trapped in a home, the high court has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 25th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Family who fear daughter was killed sue Leeds NHS trust after body decomposes – The Guardian

Posted November 23rd, 2020 in bereavement, coroners, damages, families, hospitals, inquests, negligence, news, unlawful killing by sally

‘The family of a woman who they suspect was killed is suing a health trust that allegedly stored her corpse incorrectly, allowing it to decompose to the point that experts were unable to rule out third-party involvement in her death, the Guardian can reveal.’

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The Guardian, 23rd November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Killer drug GHB ‘should be reclassified’, says official report – BBC News

Posted November 20th, 2020 in bereavement, drug abuse, families, homosexuality, murder, news, rape, sexual offences by sally

‘A drug that was weaponised by the UK’s most prolific rapist and the serial killer Stephen Port should be reclassified, says an official report.’

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BBC News, 20th November 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Grieving daughter wins first stage of legal fight on Covid releases to care homes – The Guardian

‘A grieving daughter who lost her father to Covid-19 in an Oxfordshire care home has won the first stage of a high court challenge against the government’s policy of discharging hospital patients into care homes without tests.’

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The Guardian, 19th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

What is the evidence that mediation works in child protection? – Transparency Project

Posted November 19th, 2020 in care orders, children, dispute resolution, families, family courts, news by sally

‘Both the Family Justice Review led by David Norgrove back in 2011 and the Care Crisis Review report in 2018 have asked whether child protection mediation in public law could offer anything useful over and above the usual methods of best engaging and involving families in or on the edge of care proceedings. Current methods include Public Law Outline (PLO) processes, Family Group Conferences (FGCs) and problem-solving courts like the Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC). The Care Crisis review noted that mediation in public law was an under researched area.’

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Transparency Project, 18th November 2020

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Is “Compensation” Back to the Fore in Financial Remedy Proceedings – Becket Chambers

‘The brief facts of the matter are that the parties cohabited and were married for a total of 11 years. They had two children, aged 8 and 10. When they met both the Husband (H) and the Wife (W) were working as solicitors with H an associate and W a trainee although W became an associate on qualifying in 2001. They started a relationship in 2002/3 and in that year, H became an equity partner. By 2019 he earned net of tax just short of £1m per annum. In 2006 W became a managing associate, and in 2007 cohabitation started. Later that year W left the firm to be an in-house lawyer at a bank (on the promise she could work part time if she had children). In 2010 she was made a director, although after her maternity leave she found she was not permitted to work part time in the legal department, and took a part time role in the business team. In 2016 she was made redundant, and she did not work after that.’

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Becket Chambers, 2nd November 2020

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Family lawyers “must be forced to follow good practice” – Legal Futures

‘Family lawyers should be forced to follow good practice to protect children from “acrimonious legal representation” and report it to their regulator, a major report has concluded.’

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Legal Futures, 17th November 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Shock new figures fuel fears of more lockdown domestic abuse killings in UK – The Guardian

‘Calls to the UK’s largest domestic abuse helpline are rising “week on week” as new figures reveal that almost 50 suspected killings may have occurred during the first lockdown.’

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The Guardian, 15th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Costs and proceedings – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Recent changes to the Family Procedure Rules (FPR) 2010 and views expressed from the bench mean that there has been an increased emphasis upon parties making open offers and seeking to narrow the issues in financial remedy proceedings. Not since the long-lamented demise of Calderbank letters have there been so many cases with clear warnings about costs.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 16th November 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court of Appeal orders fresh welfare hearing over failure of judge to sufficiently examine risk of harm to children when making placement order – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has ordered a fresh welfare hearing in a case where a Family Division judge decided that three children should be placed for adoption after he found, amongst other things, a major stumbling block to be the parents’ irrational and extreme over-reaction to the involvement of professionals in their lives and those of their children, most especially social workers.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th November 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court corrects gaffe which allowed ex-husband to stop payments – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 16th, 2020 in county courts, divorce, families, financial provision, litigants in person, news by sally

‘A court has permitted the correction of an order which accidentally allowed a husband to stop making payments to his ex-wife.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 16th November 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Harry Dunn death: family begins court case against Foreign Office – The Guardian

‘The family of Harry Dunn, the 19-year-old motorcyclist killed outside a US airbase, have begun their court case seeking a ruling that the Foreign Office acted unlawfully in granting diplomatic immunity to the American driver of the car that killed him.’

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The Guardian, 11th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com