Our Treatment of the Vulnerable – Challenges for the Family Justice System – Transparency Project

Posted March 17th, 2021 in children, coronavirus, families, family courts, news, witnesses by sally

‘This is the text of a paper by Sir James Munby (lately President of the Family Division) delivered at the Royal Holloway University of London Symposium : “Inequality and Rights – Contemporary Challenges in the Child Protection and Family Justice Systems before and during the Pandemic”, which was held remotely on 16 March 2021. It is reproduced with kind permission.’

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Transparency Project, 17th March 2021

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Judge orders children to be taken into long-term foster care over concerns about weight – Local Government Lawyer

‘A Family Court judge has made a care order for two children described as “severely overweight” to be taken into long-term foster care, following an application by West Sussex County Council.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th March 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Barder: Where are we now? – Family Law

‘Few would have thought back on 1 March 2020 that we would, some 12 months later, be facing the first birthday of the strictest restrictions on personal freedoms in living memory. As we approach the anniversary of the first lockdown on 23 March 2020, it seems appropriate that we reconsider one of key questions of family lawyers back in Spring 2020, that of whether the pandemic was likely to satisfy the principles set down in the 1987 case of Barder v Barder [1987] 2 FLR 480. Unprecedented times, there is no doubt, but unprecedented enough to constitute a Barder event?’

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Family Law, 12th March 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Contact after Findings of Domestic Abuse – Family Law Week

‘Teena Dhanota-Jones, Consultant at Simons Muirhead Burton, analyses a recent case involving the interplay of the law on contact and Practice Direction 12J on domestic abuse.’

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Family Law Week, 10th March 2021

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Judge says recent case shows how exceptional circumstances must be if court is to use its power to dismiss care proceedings without having heard all the evidence – Local Government Lawyer

‘A Family Court judge has refused applications to dismiss care proceedings at a half-way stage made by a number of people accused of sexual offences against children.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th March 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Family, Drug and Alcohol Court launched to cover Birmingham and Solihull – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 4th, 2021 in alcohol abuse, courts, drug abuse, family courts, news by sally

‘The UK’s 12th Family, Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) – covering the Birmingham and Solihull areas – will hold its first hearings early this month.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd March 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The Covid-19 Pandemic as a Barder Event – Family Law Week

‘Richard Kershaw, partner at Hunters Law LLP, considers the implications of Mr Justice Cohen’s judgment in FRB v DRC (No 3).’

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Family Law Week, 25th February 2021

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Capacity to consent to marriage, nullity and declarations under the inherent jurisdiction considered (NB v MI) – 1GC: Family Law

Posted February 25th, 2021 in consent, family courts, islamic law, jurisdiction, marriage, news by sally

‘The High Court was presented with an application for a declaration of nonrecognition of a Muslim marriage and a petition for nullity. The parties were married in Pakistan under Sharia law in June 2013. The applicant sought to argue, relying on two expert reports, that she did not have capacity to consent to marriage at the time. The court had to consider the issue of her capacity and then consider whether to make a declaration of non-recognition, or alternatively annul the marriage. The High Court refused the applications as it considered, on the facts of this case, the applicant had capacity to consent at the relevant time. The marriage was therefore valid under English law at its formation. Even if he had formed the opposite view, Mr Justice Mostyn made clear the court would still not have made a declaration under the court’s inherent jurisdiction as he was prevented by statute. Tahmina Rahman, barrister at 1GC Family, considers the case.’

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1GC: Family Law, 16th February 2021

Source: 1gc.com

Domestic Abuse Bill – What does it mean for victims of domestic abuse in the family courts? – Garden Court Chambers

Posted February 25th, 2021 in bills, domestic violence, family courts, news, victims by sally

‘In the year ending March 2019, an estimated 2.4 million adults aged 16 to 74 years experienced domestic abuse in the last year (1.6 million women and 786,000 men). The government was elected with a manifesto commitment to pass the Domestic Abuse Bill, which passed the House of Commons in July 2020, and is set to become law once it has passed through the House of Lords.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 24th February 2021

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Family Law Newsletter – Spire Barristers

‘Issue #43 of Spire Barristers’ Family Law Newsletter: edited by Connie Purdy and Taz Irshad; news and Case Reviews by Francesca Massarella. Francesca is due to begin pupillage at Spire Barristers in September 2021.’

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Spire Barristers, 16th February 2021

Source: spirebarristers.co.uk

Litigants baffled as civil procedure rules move to new site – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Lawyers and litigants awoke this morning to the wholesale move of procedure rules to a government website described by one as “unusable”.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th February 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Nuffield Family Justice Observatory to consult on use of supervision orders in care proceedings – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (FJO) has launched a consultation seeking views about supervision orders and their use in care proceedings.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th February 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Judge hits out at lack of regulated placement for vulnerable, suicidal 16 year old, despite 11 High Court hearings and sending series of judgments to ministers – Local Government Lawyer

‘An exasperated High Court judge has sent a fourth judgment to ministers over the continuing unavailability of a regulated placement for a vulnerable 16 year old with multifaceted difficulties and at a high risk of serious self-harm or suicide.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th February 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Alternative Dispute Resolution – Becket Chambers

Posted February 11th, 2021 in chambers articles, coronavirus, delay, family courts, news by sally

‘The family courts were overwhelmed with cases prior to the Pandemic, leading to long delays and, perhaps most distressing to the parties engaged in this type of conflict resolution, last minute adjournments which can incur significant wasted costs, for which there is generally no recourse, together with the distress and anxiety associated with yet further, often prejudicial, delay in ending what is for most participants a highly unpleasant and distressing experience.’

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Becket Chambers, 1st February 2021

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Practice Direction 12J & Scott Schedules – Rearranging a spider’s web – Family Law Week

Posted February 8th, 2021 in appeals, children, domestic violence, families, family courts, news, practice directions by tracey

‘Jeremy Ford, Partner at Cambridge Family Law Practice LLP, calls for clarity in the court’s attitude to Scott Schedules when considering what is relevant to its welfare determination.’

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Family Law Week, 3rd February 2021

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Domestic abuse victims stalked as family courts share refuge addresses with ex-partners, commissioner warns – The Independent

‘The family courts are putting domestic abuse victims and children at grave risk by sharing the secret addresses of shelters with the abusive ex-partner they are fleeing, and some survivors are suffering stalking as a result, London’s independent victims’ commissioner has warned.’

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The Independent, 7th February 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

New rules for legal practice: guidance for legal professionals – Family Law

‘The Ministry of Justice has published a page on the gov.uk website bringing together guidance for legal professionals on the new rules for various areas of legal practice.’

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Family Law, 28th January 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Notification of Fathers and Wider Family Members in Relinquishment Cases: A Recap – Family Law Week

‘Olivia Kirkbride, a pupil barrister at Coram Chambers, considers two recent, contrasting cases in which mothers sought to relinquish newly born children without notifying the fathers and family members.’

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Family Law Week, 27th January 2021

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

The Court of Appeal considers Domestic Abuse – Part 2 – Transparency Project

Posted January 26th, 2021 in appeals, domestic violence, family courts, internet, news, remote hearings by sally

‘This post summarises the individual issues in the four appeals. Part 3 will cover the wider issues of principle and some of the themes that emerged in the course of the hearing, and will provide some materials for further reading.’

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Transparency Project, 24th January 2021

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

The Court of Appeal considers Domestic Abuse – Part 1 – Transparency Project

Posted January 26th, 2021 in appeals, domestic violence, family courts, internet, news, remote hearings by sally

‘This week three judges in the Court of Appeal held a 3 day long appeal hearing all about domestic abuse cases. This series of posts provide a summary of what the hearing was about and how it went. The decision is expected in a few weeks’ time.’

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Transparency Project, 23rd January 2021

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk