A united approach – Counsel

Posted February 23rd, 2017 in barristers, children, cross-examination, news, witnesses, young persons by sally

‘HHJ Simon Drew QC and Lynda Gibbs explain why the pan-profession s 28 and ‘advocacy and the vulnerable’ training – being delivered to over 14,000 criminal advocates over the next two years – heralds a sea change.’

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Counsel, March 2017

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Cloisters column part two – ‘Premature Labelling? A child-centred approach to questions of gender identity’ – Cloisters

Posted February 22nd, 2017 in care orders, children, family courts, gender, news, social services, transgender persons by sally

‘This is part two of a two-part series on trans rights from leading equality and human rights barrister Claire McCann at Cloisters. Part one explores toilets and gender identity.’

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Cloisters, 14th February 2017

Source: www.cloisters.com

Adopting Scottish Children in England – Family Law Week

‘Lorraine Cavanagh, barrister of St Johns Buildings, explains the implications of a recent important judgment of the President concerning the English courts’ recognition of permanence orders of Scottish children.’

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Family Law Week, 14th February 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

How is the PLO working? What is its impact on court process and outcome? – Family Law Week

‘The last five years have brought important reforms to care proceedings. The Judiciary made proposals for modernising family justice with a focus on strong judicial leadership, judicial continuity and better case management.2 The Family Justice Review3 recommended that the duration of care proceedings should be limited to 26 weeks, that fewer experts should be instructed in proceedings and there should be more limited scrutiny of the care plan, with the court considering only the plan for permanency (care by the parents(s), placement in the extended family, long-term fostering, or adoption) and not matters such as services for the child and contact arrangements. The Review’s recommendations were enacted in the Children and Families Act 2014, supplemented by new procedural rules (the PLO 2014) and implemented on April 22, 2014. This date also marked the opening of the Family Court, replacing the triple jurisdiction of the Family Proceedings Court, the County Court and the High Court. ‘

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Family Law Week, 17th February 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Income rules for foreign spouses upheld – BBC News

‘Income rules which stop thousands of British citizens bringing their foreign spouse to the UK are lawful “in principle” the Supreme Court has ruled.’

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BBC News, 22nd February 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK prisons ‘holding child inmates in solitary confinement against UN torture rules’ – The Independent

‘British prisons are holding child inmates in solitary confinement in an alleged breach of UN torture rules and British law, The Independent has found. Lawyers in one case have launched legal action against the Government in the High Court.’

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The Independent, 21st February 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Family judge condemns 2,000-page bundle – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A family judge has expressed his disapproval at the ‘unwarranted expenditure’ in a case where a local authority breached Article 8 rights under the European Convention on Human Rights by taking an infant into care.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 17th February 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Home Office agrees to review asylum claims of child refugees in France – The Guardian

Posted February 20th, 2017 in asylum, children, EC law, France, government departments, immigration, news, refugees by sally

‘The Home Office has agreed to review asylum applications from child refugees in France after it emerged that several had returned to the site of the former Calais camp in a renewed effort to make the crossing to the UK.’

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The Guardian, 19th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New law to stop adults sexting children not being enforced – The Guardian

Posted February 16th, 2017 in children, internet, news, sexual grooming, telecommunications by sally

‘Tough new laws that make it a criminal offence for an adult to send sexually explicit messages to a child under 16 are still not being enforced almost two years after they were passed by parliament, child protection campaigners have said. ‘

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The Guardian, 16th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Millionaire who killed his wife sued by sons for ‘profiting’ from murder – The Guardian

Posted February 16th, 2017 in appeals, children, divorce, domestic violence, families, murder, news, proceeds of crime by sally

‘A millionaire businessman who stabbed his wife to death in the midst of a bitter divorce row is being sued for £1.5m by his two sons.’

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The Guardian, 15th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Child of incestuous rape seeks compensation – BBC News

‘A severely disabled man born after an incestuous rape is seeking compensation at the Court of Appeal as a victim.’

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BBC News, 15th March 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The boy who watched IS beheading videos – BBC News

‘What leads a young child to stand up in front of his class and tell his school friends that he agrees with the aims and objectives of the so-called Islamic State?’

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BBC News, 14th February 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Mother who let her two boys sleep in her bed has them taken away by judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 13th, 2017 in adoption, children, family courts, news, private hearings, social services by sally

‘A mother who allowed her two children to sleep in her bed has had them taken away from her by a family court judge after social workers raised concerns.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th February 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Divorced parents who pit children against former partners ‘guilty of abuse’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 13th, 2017 in child abuse, children, divorce, family courts, news by sally

‘Divorced parents who “brainwash” their children against ex-partners are guilty of “abuse”, the head of the agency that looks after youngsters’ interests in family courts has said.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th February 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Number of child murders falls to lowest figure since records began – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 10th, 2017 in children, murder, news, sexual offences, statistics by tracey

‘The number of child murders fell to the lowest level on record last year despite an 11 per cent rise in adult homicides across Britain.’

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Daily Telegraph, 9th February 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

High Court challenge to UK’s child refugee efforts – BBC News

Posted February 10th, 2017 in children, news, refugees by tracey

‘A high court challenge to Amber Rudd’s decision to close the Dubs scheme for lone child refugees after resettling only 350 from Europe is to be heard in early May.’

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The Guardian, 10th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Barnet wins best interests vaccine battle in High Court – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 9th, 2017 in children, local government, medical treatment, news, vaccination by sally

‘A High Court judge has backed the decision of the London Borough of Barnet to vaccinate a looked after baby against the wishes of his mother.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th February 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The UK’s new baby car seat law: When does it start and how do I fit my child’s seat correctly? – The Independent

Posted February 7th, 2017 in children, health & safety, news, transport by sally

‘In order to keep babies and infants safe on car journeys, it’s not only essential to have a properly-fitted car seat for them – it’s the law.’

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The Independent, 6th February 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Claims of child-on-child sexual offences soar in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘Allegations of children committing sexual offences against other children have risen 78% in England and Wales in four years, prompting renewed calls for compulsory education on sexual consent and healthy relationships.’

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The Guardian, 3rd February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

One female genital mutilation case reported every hour in the UK – The Independent

Posted February 6th, 2017 in children, female genital mutilation, health, news, statistics, women by sally

‘A case of female genital mutilation (FGM) is either discovered or treated at a medical appointment in England every hour, according to analysis of NHS statistics by a charity.’

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The Independent, 6th February 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk