‘Vilified’ doctor cannot publish patient’s private information – Panopticon

‘In the Matter of C (A Child) (Application by Dr X and Y) [2015] EWFC 79 involved, in the words of Munby J, an unusual and indeed unprecedented application. It pitted the right to defend one’s reputation against the privacy and confidentiality rights of others. In this case, the latter won.
Dr X had treated C and C’s mother; he had also been an expert witness in the family court care proceedings concerning C. C’s mother was unhappy about the treatment given by Dr X. She complained about him to the GMC, whose Fitness to Practise panel in due course found the allegations against Dr X to be unproven. C’s mother also criticised Dr X publicly in the media.’

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Panopticon, 1st October 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

DL v SL – WLR Daily

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in divorce, family courts, law reports, privacy, reporting restrictions by tracey

DL v SL: [2015] EWHC 2621 (Fam); [2015] WLR (D) 391

‘FPR r 27.10 incorporated a strong starting point or presumption, which should not be derogated from unless there was a compelling reason, that ancillary relief proceedings should be heard in private. The law concerning the presence of the media in such proceedings, contained in FPR r 27.11 and Practice Direction PD27B: Attendance of Media Representatives at Hearings in Family Proceedings, was to enable the press to be the eyes and ears of the public so as to ensure that the case was conducted fairly and to enable the public to be educated in an abstract and general way about the processes that were deployed, but did not extend to breaching the privacy of the parties in those proceedings that Parliament had given to them.’

WLR Daily, 27th July 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Privacy in Financial Remedies Proceedings – Family Law Week

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in divorce, family courts, news, privacy, public interest, reporting restrictions by tracey

‘David Bedingfield, barrister, 4 Paper Buildings, considers conflicting judicial attitudes to the vexed question of rights to privacy in financial remedies proceedings.’

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Family Law Week, 1st October 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Gallagher-Appleton divorce triggers dispute over family court reporting – The Guardian

Posted September 23rd, 2015 in divorce, family courts, news, public interest, reporting restrictions by sally

‘The courtroom divorce battle between Liam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton has triggered a landmark legal dispute over what can be reported in the public’s interest from the family courts.’

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The Guardian, 22nd September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court of Protection Update (September 2015) – Family Law Week

‘Sally Bradley and Julia Townend, barristers of 4 Paper Buildings, focus on the applicable law and procedure pertaining to reporting restriction orders in the Court of Protection generally and further to the recent judgment in A Healthcare NHS Trust v P & Q.’

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Family Law Week, 16th September 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

In re Z (A Child) (Foreign Surrogacy: Parental Order) – WLR Daily

In re Z (A Child) (Foreign Surrogacy: Parental Order): [2015] EWFC 73; [2015] WLR (D) 375

‘Since section 54(1) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 provided that in certain circumstances the court might make a parental order on the application of “two people”, it was not open to the court to make such an order on the application of one person only; nor could section 54(1) be “read down” in accordance with section 3(1) of the Human Rights Act 1998 to enable that to be done.’

WLR Daily, 7th September 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Finance & Divorce Update September 2015 – Family Law Week

‘Edward Heaton, Principal Associate and Jane Booth, Associate, both of Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during August 2015.’

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Family Law Week, 13th September 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Tipstaff Orders – Family Law Week

Posted August 27th, 2015 in child abduction, enforcement, family courts, news, practice directions by sally

‘Sarah Jennings, barrister of 3PB Chambers, examines the purpose of and procedure for obtaining tipstaff orders.’

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Family Law Week, 26th August 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Finance & Divorce Update – Family Law Week

‘Edward Heaton, Principal Associate and Jane Booth, Associate, both of Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during July 2015.’

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Family Law Week, 15th August 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Girl, 16, who tried to travel to Syria must be removed from her home – The Guardian

Posted August 24th, 2015 in children, families, family courts, Islam, news, passports, terrorism, wardship by sally

‘A schoolgirl “fully radicalised” by Islamic State propaganda must be removed from her family home, the high court has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 21st August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Merton London Borough Council v B (Central Authority of the Republic of Latvia, intervening) – WLR Daily

Merton London Borough Council v B (Central Authority of the Republic of Latvia, intervening) [2015] EWCA Civ 888; [2015] WLR (D) 365

‘Notwithstanding that concerns might be expressed in many parts of Europe about the law and practice in England and Wales in relation to non-consensual adoption where care proceedings involving foreign nationals were in contemplation, domestic law was not incompatible with the United Kingdom’s international obligations or, specifically, its obligations under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.’

WLR Daily, 6th August 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Enforce family court orders but don’t jail debtors – Society – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 13th, 2015 in debts, enforcement, family courts, imprisonment, Law Commission, Law Society, news by sally

‘The Law Society has called for simpler procedures to enforce family financial orders and said creditors should be armed with more information.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 12th August 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

All Change for London Family Lawyers: An International Perspective – Family Law Week

‘Stuart Clark, Associate Solicitor at The International Family Law Group LLP, explains the latest changes to the administration of divorce and financial remedies cases in London.’

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Family Law Week, 22nd July 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Judge criticises social worker over report which ‘might just as well have been written in a foreign language’ – The Independent

Posted August 3rd, 2015 in family courts, judges, news, reports, social services by sally

‘A social worker’s report on a woman who wanted to care for two children might as well have been “written in a foreign language”, a family court judge has suggested.’

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The Independent, 3rd August 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Re H (Children) [2015] EWCA Civ 583: Appealing decisions out of time and procedural rules for litigants in person – No. 5 Chambers

Posted July 27th, 2015 in appeals, family courts, litigants in person, news, time limits by sally

‘The recent case of Re H (Children) [2015] EWCA Civ 583 highlighted some of the difficulties that can be encountered by parties acting in person in family proceedings, and the stark consequences that can flow from a simple failure to follow procedural rules. The decision gives some guidance on the circumstances to be considered when deciding an application for relief from sanctions, namely an application for permission to appeal out of time.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 22nd June 2015

Source: www.no5.com

Solicitor-advocates harming family justice – bar – Law Society’s Gazette

‘he bar has called for an independent review of advocacy in family law, over ‘a growing concern’ that an increase in the number of solicitors in conduct hearings has led to a decline in standards and ‘unjust’ outcomes.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 20th July 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Triennial Reviews of the Civil Justice Council and Family Justice Council Report – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted July 15th, 2015 in civil justice, Civil Justice Council, families, family courts, reports by tracey

‘Triennial Reviews of the Civil Justice Council and Family Justice Council were launched on the 4th November 2013.The Ministry of Justice have today (14th July 2015) published the final report of the review.’

Full report

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 14th July 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Greater Transparency in Children Proceedings: A Note of Caution – Family Law week

‘Tom Wilson, pupil barrister at 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers, examines the arguments in favour of greater transparency in the family justice system but sounds a note of caution.’

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Family Law Week, 9th July 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

NSPCC queries High Court judge’s smacking remarks – BBC News

‘Children need to be protected from being physically abused by their parents irrespective of “cultural sensitivities”, a UK charity has said.’

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BBC News, 10th June 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Make allowances for immigrants who slap their children, says high court judge – The Guardian

‘Police and social workers should make allowances for immigrants who slap or hit their children when investigating allegations of physical abuse, a high court judge has said.’

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The Guardian, 10th June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk