Current Awareness » children

Benjamin Roach sentenced to seven years for baby death – BBC News

sally — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:47:12 +0000

“A man who killed his four-week-old daughter by shaking her violently has been jailed for seven years.”

BBC News, 21st May 2013

Police swabbing of child DNA excessive, says charity – BBC News

sally — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:57:23 +0000

“Police in England and Wales have taken DNA samples from children every 10 minutes, figures obtained using freedom of information requests suggest.”

Full story

BBC News, 20th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Retired priest jailed over sex attacks at children’s home – The Guardian

sally — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:34:50 +0000

“A retired Church of England priest found guilty of a catalogue of historic sex attacks on children at a Barnardo’s home has been jailed for 10 years.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

What Place does Wardship have in Modern Family Proceedings? – Family Law Week

sally — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:02:54 +0000

“Leanne Buckley-Thomson, barrister at 12 College Place, provides an overview of wardship and considers its usefulness in modern family proceedings.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 18th May 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Council wrongly classed asylum seeker children as adults – The Guardian

sally — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:08:43 +0000

“A London council has had to pay out more than £1m in costs for wrongly assessing asylum seeker children as adults. These wrong decisions have condemned some children to homelessness, prevented them from going to school and led to some being unlawfully held in adult detention centres.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (A) v Lowestoft Magistrates’ Court – WLR Daily

sally — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:36:05 +0000

Regina (A) v Lowestoft Magistrates’ Court [2013] EWHC 659 (Admin); [2013] WLR (D) 177

“The child specifically referred to in any charge under section 2(1) of the Licensing Act 1902 was a subject of criminal proceedings which were taken ‘in respect of’, and thus “concerned”, that child for the purposes of the court’s power to impose reporting restrictions under section 39 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.”

WLR Daily, 26th March 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Child sexual abuse orders failing to deliver, says Ceop – BBC News

sally — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:29:05 +0000

“The system of civil court orders designed to prevent sexual abuse of children in Britain is ‘not fit for purpose’, according to a report obtained by the BBC.”

Full story

BBC News, 14th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

“To Decide or not to Decide, that is the Question…” – the impact of R (H) v Kingston upon Hull City Council – Family Law Week

sally — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:17:28 +0000

“Dave Phillips and Naomi Madderson, members of the child care team at 37 Park Square Chambers, consider the impact of a case in which a local authority which removed two children subject to an interim care order was judicially reviewed and in which the authors acted.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 6th May 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Boy wins Birmingham Magistrates’ Court cell ruling – BBC News

sally — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:22:09 +0000

“Child protection rules were breached when a teenager with learning difficulties was held in a court cell for adults, the High Court has ruled.”

Full story

BBC News, 4th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Roxie Jo-Anne Archer death: Man jailed for life for toddler murder – BBC News

tracey — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:52:34 +0000

“A man has been jailed for life for beating a two-year-old girl to death while
her mother was in New York celebrating her 21st birthday.”

Full story

BBC News, 3rd May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Regina (HC) v Secretary of State for the Home Department and another (Coram Children’s Legal Centre and another intervening) – WLR Daily

tracey — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:15:16 +0000

Regina (HC) v Secretary of State for the Home Department and another (Coram Children’s Legal Centre and another intervening): [2013] EWHC 982 (Admin); [2013] WLR (D) 157

“It was contrary to article 8 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and consequently unlawful, for the Secretary of State for the Home Department to direct, as she had done through Code C of the Code of Practice under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (‘PACE Code C’), that 17-year-olds might be treated as adults when in police detention.”

WLR Daily, 25th April 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Annual Report of the Office of the Head of International Family Justice for England and Wales: 2012 – Judiciary of England and Wales

tracey — Fri, 03 May 2013 09:57:02 +0000

“Annual Report of the Office of the Head of International Family Justice for England and Wales: 2012.”

Full report

Judiciary of England and Wales, 1st May 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

CPS: ‘Stuart Hall is an opportunistic predator’ – Daily Telegraph

tracey — Fri, 03 May 2013 08:42:22 +0000

“Nazir Afzal, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS in the North West, thanks
victims of Stuart Hall for their bravery in coming forward as he describes the
veteran broadcaster as an ‘opportunistic predator’.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 2nd May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Darran Brown jailed for baby boy GBH in Leatherhead

sally — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:24:33 +0000

“A 32-year-old man who seriously assaulted and neglected a four-month-old baby boy has been jailed for eight years.”

Full story

BBC News, 1st May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

LAA must give reasons about funding expert assessments in care proceedings – UK Human Rights Blog

sally — Thu, 02 May 2013 08:42:55 +0000

“This successful challenge to a decision by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) arose from an expert assessor in family proceedings – not unnaturally – refusing to begin work unless funding was in place. If the LAA are asked to fund an assessment on behalf of a party with legal aid, then it is common for lawyers to obtain prior authority from the LAA to ensure that the expert will be paid for their work. If not, then the lawyers themselves can be liable for an expert’s costs. In this case, prior authority to pay for the expert assessment had been refused by the LAA thus resulting in further court hearings and delay in the resolution of the case for the children.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 2nd May 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Men guilty of raping boy, 14, in Manchester Debenhams – BBC News

sally — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:38:46 +0000

“Two men have been found guilty of raping a 14-year-old boy in a city centre department store’s toilets.”

Full story

BBC News, 29th April 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

In re C (A Child) (Adoption: Placement order) – WLR Daily

tracey — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:57:00 +0000

In re C (A Child) (Adoption: Placement order): [2013] EWCA Civ 431; [2013] WLR (D) 151

“Guidance as to the steps to be followed where an application to the Court of Appeal was made for permission to appeal against the making of a placement order, or of any order consequent upon the making of a placement order, in adoption proceedings.”

WLR Daily, 25th April 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Genetic testing of children up for adoption – UK Human Rights Blog

tracey — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:58:32 +0000

“Y and Z (Children), 25 April 2013 [2013] EWHC 953 (Fam). Having children is a lottery. No judge or court in the land would sanction the regulation of childbearing, however feckless the parents, unsuitable the conditions for childrearing, or unpromising the genetic inheritance. Adoption on the other hand is stringently regulated, set about with obstacles for prospective parents, and strictly scrutinised by an army of authorities backed up by specialist family courts and a battery of laws, statutory instruments and guidance papers. Usually the filtering is in one direction only: the suitability of the parents to the child or children up for adoption. But sometimes it goes the other way, and this case raises the fascinating and somewhat futuristic question of whether children’s chance of finding a suitable home might be increased by genetic testing.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 26th April 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Junk foods avoid ad ban by targeting children online – The Guardian

tracey — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:07:12 +0000

“Advertising regulators have been accused of failing to protect children from aggressive online marketing by food companies using internet games and advertising. The Children’s Food Campaign has called on ministers to introduce statutory regulation to close loopholes allowing ads that are banned from children’s television to be shown on manufacturers’ own child-friendly websites.”

Full story

The Guardian, 29th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge: parents were too besotted to hurt children – Daily Telegraph

tracey — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:36:00 +0000

“A judge has refused to allow social workers to take three children with serious
and apparently unexplained injuries into care after seeing that their parents
were ‘simply dotty about them’.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 27th April 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Another blow for Theresa May: treating 17-year-olds in custody as adults ‘incompatible’ with human rights law – The Independent

sally — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:53:57 +0000

“A teenager has won a High Court victory over the Home Secretary Theresa May’s policy of treating 17-year-olds taken into custody as adults – depriving them of protections offered to those aged 16 and under.”

Full story

The Independent, 25th April 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

How can the courts manage the Facebook phenomenon? – UK Human Rights Blog

sally — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:04:22 +0000

“In this somewhat chaotic action, the Plaintiff sued ten defendants, in anonymised form by her father and next friend.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 24th April 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Rochdale care homes to sue council leader for suggesting children not safe after grooming scandal – Daily Telegraph

sally — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:37:20 +0000

“Two private care home operators are attempting to sue the leader of the council at the centre of the Rochdale child grooming scandal for libel after he suggested vulnerable children would not be safe in the area.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 22nd April 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Local authority ordered to pay substantial costs in family human rights case – UK Human Rights Blog

sally — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:39:07 +0000

“This was a costs application arising from an extremely important decision by Peter Jackson J in June 2012 (see Alasdair Henderson’s post here and read judgment).”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 19th April 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Children: Public Law Update (April 2013) – Family Law Week

tracey — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:38:54 +0000

“John Tughan, barrister of 4 Paper Buildings, examines two important recent judgments: the Supreme Court’s decision in J (Children) and the Court of Appeal’s in M (A Child).”

Full story

Family Law Week, 18th April 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Couple convicted over baby smuggling attempt – Home Office

sally — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:04:07 +0000

“A couple from Oxford have been convicted of attempting to pass off a Nigerian baby as their own and bring it back to the UK.”

Full story

Home Office, 17th April 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Bar Council launches first ever Bar Nursery – The Bar Council

sally — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:06:23 +0000

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today launched the ‘Bar Nursery at Smithfield House’, a central London childcare facility in partnership with Smithfield House Children’s Nursery.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 16th April 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Court terminates father’s parental responsibility – Family Law Week

sally — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:41:43 +0000

“In the first reported judgment on the issue since 1995, Mr Justice Baker has terminated the parental responsibility of a father who had been imprisoned for sexual abuse of his own child’s half-sisters.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 14th April 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Planning policy versus the UN rights of the child – UK Human Rights Blog

sally — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:23:11 +0000

“As the judge explicitly recognised, this case raised the clash of two principles – how to resolve the policy-driven field of planning with the rights of family under Article 8 ECHR and of the child under Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 11th April 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Smartphone games with costly in-app add-ons prompt OFT scrutiny – The Guardian

sally — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:26:20 +0000

“Free iPad and smartphone games which can result in children running up hefty bills for their parents through expensive in-game features are to come under scrutiny from the Office of Fair Trading.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Expert witness ruling a blow to children, Society warns – Law Society’s Gazette

sally — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:35:59 +0000

“Children involved in family law cases will face extra uncertainty following a High Court ruling on the funding of expert witnesses, the Law Society has warned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 10th April 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Human rights have disappeared from ‘Working Together’ – UK Human Rights Blog

sally — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:00:38 +0000

“‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ is the lead piece of statutory guidance on… well, working together to safeguard children. Originally published in 1999, a new edition was published in 2006 following the changes brought about following the death of Victoria Climbié. And the next edition in 2010 incorporated recommendations of the second Laming Report which followed the death of Baby P. It had grown longer over time, as we all learned lessons from Haringey; but its growing length was causing concern.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 9th April 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

ITV rapped over Charlie Brooks’ I’m a Celebrity stunt – BBC News

sally — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:21:17 +0000

“ITV has been censured by the media regulator over a stunt on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, involving the seven-year-old daughter of EastEnders actress Charlie Brooks.”

Full story

BBC News, 8th April 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

International Children Law Update – Family Law Week

sally — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:02:34 +0000

“Jacqueline Renton, Barrister of 4 Paper Buildings, reviews the latest key decisions in international children law.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 5th April 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Enforcement of custody in the face of children’s dissent: should law prevail? – UK Human Rights Blog

sally — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:46:32 +0000

“This complicated inter-jurisdictional battle between estranged parents is a stark illustration of how difficult it can be in these sorts of cases to apply the law in the fog of family warfare.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 4th April 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

The Government’s response to Lord Carlile’s report on the Edlington case – Department for Education

sally — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:15:13 +0000

“In March 2012 the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education, asked Lord Carlile to conduct an independent review of the case of the ‘J’ children in Edlington. The ‘J’ children had committed a very serious assault on two young victims in April 2009, having assaulted another young victim the previous weekend.”

Full story

Department for Education, March 2013

Source: www.education.gov.uk

In re P-S (Children) (Care Proceedings: Evidence) – WLR Daily

sally — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:26:34 +0000

In re P-S (Children) (Care Proceedings: Evidence) [2013] EWCA Civ 223; [2013] WLR (D) 113

“Although a child in care proceedings concerning him had the right to be “heard” in the proceedings, there was no rule as to how that was to be achieved, and a young boy, who had been granted status as a party to care proceedings concerning him, did not have the right to insist that he be permitted to give evidence to the court.”

WLR Daily, 21st March 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Half a Century of Change: The Evidence of Child Victims – Speech by The Right Honourable the Lord Judge

sally — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:58:17 +0000

Half a Century of Change: The Evidence of Child Victims (PDF)

Speech by The Right Honourable the Lord Judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales

Toulmin Lecture in Law and Psychiatry, 20th March 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Call for research into effects on children of giving evidence in abuse cases – The Guardian

sally — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:31:42 +0000

“Research should be carried out into the long-term affects on those who give evidence about sexual abuse when they are a child, the lord chief justice, Lord Judge, has urged.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police overhaul of missing persons cases ‘could put children at risk’ – Daily Telegraph

tracey — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:45:55 +0000

“An overhaul of how police deal with missing people could put vulnerable children
at risk of being groomed and sexually exploited, the NSPCC has said.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 20th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

No sick pay, no maternity pay: Chancellor targets employers’ tax loophole that damages teachers’ and nurses’ rights – The Independent

sally — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:23:24 +0000

“A tax loophole which allows firms to dodge around £100 million a year in National Insurance will be closed in the Budget, it was announced.”

Full story

The Independent, 16th March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Warning over ‘needless criminalisation’ of children in care – BBC News

sally — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:29:01 +0000

“Children in care in England and Wales are being needlessly criminalised for ‘trivial incidents’, MPs have warned.”

Full story

BBC News, 14th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ash and Cancer Research win ban on ads attacking plain cigarette packs – The Guardian

sally — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:16:28 +0000

“Anti-smoking campaigners have won a battle against Gallaher, which markets brands including Benson & Hedges, Camel and Silk Cut, after the advertising watchdog banned the tobacco giant’s national advertising campaign attacking proposals for plain cigarette packaging.”

Full story

the Guardian, 13th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government failing to bring Britain in line with European rules on human trafficking, say charities – The Independent

sally — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:19:42 +0000

“The Government has failed to bring Britain in line with European laws on human trafficking, according to leading charities, who say victims of the crime are being left vulnerable to further abuse.”

Full story

The Independent, 10th March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Psychiatric wards ‘neglect’ duty to parents – BBC News

tracey — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:08:15 +0000

“Psychiatric hospitals must consider the children of those who are given compulsory mental health treatment, according to a health watchdog. The Mental Welfare Commission says most healthcare staff are unaware of their responsibilities to help parents to maintain contact with their children.”

Full story

BBC News, 7th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Man jailed for murder of woman and death of unborn child – The Guardian

sally — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:49:45 +0000

“A man who beat his pregnant former fiancee to death causing the death of their unborn baby has been jailed for at least 27 years.”

Full story

The Guardian, 6th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Keighley rape trial: Bilal Hussain and Shazad Rehman jailed – BBC News

sally — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:42:37 +0000

“Two men have been jailed for drugging and raping vulnerable under-age girls they found walking the streets.”

Full story

BBC News, 6th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government to legislate for plain cigarette packaging this year – The Guardian

sally — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:40:58 +0000

“Ministers are to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes along the Australian model with legislation this year, after becoming convinced that the branding is a key factor in why young people start to smoke.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Children and Families Bill 2013 – 11 KBW

sally — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:46:51 +0000

“Part 3 of the Children and Families Bill 2013 (‘the Bill’) was intended to deliver ‘the biggest
reforms for 30 years’ for children and young people with SEN.”

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, 5th March 2013

Source: www.11kbw.com

The Children and Families Bill – the new SEN provisions – 11 KBW

sally — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:30:20 +0000

“The legislative framework governing the approach to children with special educational needs (‘SEN’) in England has remained broadly the same since the coming into force of Part 4 of the Education Act 1996 on 1st November 1996. However, on 18 March 2012, the Department for Education published a Green Paper, Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability, signalling an intention to review that framework. The intention to legislate in this field was reiterated in the Queen’s Speech on 9th May 2012, which was swiftly followed by the follow-up to the Green Paper, Progress and Next Steps, on 15 May 2012.”

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, 5th March 2013

Source: www.11kbw.com