Religion, looked-after children and “best interests”: Salford CC – Law & Religion UK

‘Salford CC v W & Ors (Religion and Declaration of Looked After Status) [2021] EWHC 61 (Fam) was about the welfare of five children between the ages of eleven and four: B, C, D, E and F. There were three applications before the court: the first for care orders under s.31 of the Children Act 1989, first issued in December 2018 by Norfolk County Council, the second by their mother, Ms W, for a prohibited steps order pursuant to s. 8 of the Children Act 1989, and the third by the maternal aunt and putative special guardian of the children, Mrs Z, for a declaration under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court regarding the children’s legal status for the purposes of Part III of the Children Act 1989 [1 & 2]. It is the second application that is the subject of this note.’

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Law & Religion UK, 22nd January 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

“Wrongful Life” Revisited – UK Human Rights Blog

‘In Evie Toombes v. Dr. Philip Mitchell [2020] EWHC 3506 the High Court has given renewed consideration to claims for, so called, “wrongful life”. Can a disabled person ever claim damages on the basis that they would not have been born but for the defendant’s negligence? The Court answered that question with a resounding “yes”.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 21st January 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Alexia Walenkaki swing death: Tower Hamlets Council fined £330,000 – BBC News

‘A council has been fined £330,000 after a five-year-old girl died when a swing set collapsed on her in east London.’

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BBC News, 22nd January 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Oxfordshire boy groomed by gangs ‘failed’ by authorities – BBC News

Posted January 21st, 2021 in children, drug trafficking, education, gangs, news, police, reports, social services, suicide by sally

‘A boy found dead in his bedroom was groomed into a world of drug trafficking and “failed” by the authorities, a serious case review said.’

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BBC News, 20th January 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Keelan Wilson: Four guilty of Wolverhampton boy murder – BBC News

Posted January 20th, 2021 in children, gangs, murder, news, offensive weapons, young offenders by sally

‘Four men have been found guilty of murdering a boy stabbed more than 40 times in a “well-planned execution”.’

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BBC News, 19th January 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Female child sex abuse ‘remains taboo’ while victims struggle – BBC News

Posted January 20th, 2021 in child abuse, children, news, sexual offences, statistics, victims, women by sally

‘Victims of female child sexual abusers face “enormous stigma and shame”, according to police and charities.’

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BBC News, 19th January 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Landmark hearing to examine handling of domestic abuse cases by UK courts – The Guardian

‘A landmark hearing in the court of appeal is under way to examine how cases of domestic abuse are handled by judges in the family courts.’

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The Guardian, 19th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bedford hospital: ‘Risk of baby abduction’ at ‘inadequate’ maternity unit – BBC News

Posted January 15th, 2021 in birth, children, families, hospitals, kidnapping, news, ombudsmen, whistleblowers by sally

‘Maternity services at a hospital have been downgraded to “inadequate” after inspectors found a “potential risk for baby abduction”. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected Bedford Hospital’s maternity services in November following “14 whistle-blower inquiries”.’

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BBC News, 15 January 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Child spies’ bill could face Lords defeat as Tory peers rebel – The Guardian

‘Tory peers, bishops and crossbenchers could inflict defeat on the government after an outcry over new guidance which allows state agencies to use children as undercover spies as part of the government’s covert intelligence bill.’

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The Guardian, 13th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Age assessments 2020: a year in review – Doughty Street

Posted January 8th, 2021 in asylum, chambers articles, children, immigration, local government, news by sally

‘This article will provide an overview of some of the key legal cases concerning age assessments and support for those whose age is disputed.’

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Doughty Street, 7th January 2021

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

High Court grants girl anonymity in TikTok representative action – Litigation Futures

Posted January 8th, 2021 in anonymity, children, damages, data protection, internet, news, privacy by sally

‘A High Court judge has granted anonymity to a 12-year-old girl, allowing the Children’s Commissioner, as her litigation friend, to bring a breach of privacy action against social media platform TikTok.’

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Litigation Futures, 7th January 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Childhood vaccination disputes – where does the law stand in public and private law proceedings? – Family Law

‘As the vaccinations against COVID-19 begin to be administered, it is worth revisiting recent judicial approaches in vaccination disputes concerning children in both public and private law proceedings.’

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Family Law, 6th January 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Shukri Yahye-Abdi: Family sue police over girl’s river death – BBC News

‘The family of a 12-year-old girl who drowned in a river has launched legal action against the police force which investigated her death.’

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BBC News, 6th January 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

W (Children): judge’s recusal does not indicate bias – Transparency Project

Posted December 21st, 2020 in appeals, bias, children, contact orders, families, judges, news, recusal by sally

‘Reading the case name W (Children: Reopening/recusal) I assumed that this would be another of those applications by a party, invariably the father, for the recusal of the judge in a children application, on the basis of alleged bias.’

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Transparency Project, 18th December 2020

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Air pollution death ruling: What comes next? – BBC News

‘For the first time in the UK – and possibly the world – air pollution has been recognised as a cause of a person’s death. But was the ruling just a one-off? And what does it mean for others?’

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BBC News, 17th December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Eton teacher jailed for sex offences against pupils – BBC News

‘A former Eton College teacher has been jailed for five years for a string of sexual offences against pupils during “nocturnal” visits to their bedrooms.’

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BBC News, 17th December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Pupils’ historical abuse at London schools claims total £1m – BBC News

Posted December 18th, 2020 in child abuse, children, compensation, news, school children, victims, violence by sally

‘Nearly £1m in compensation has been paid to dozens of former students at two London private schools following historical allegations of abuse.’

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BBC News, 17th December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Unnecessary Private Law Applications – a warning shot from the judiciary – Family Law Week

‘Marie Crawford, barrister of Becket Chambers, reflects on a recent children law judgment and its implications for parties and practitioners.’

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Family Law Week, 16th December 2020

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Air pollution a cause in girl’s death, coroner rules in landmark case – The Guardian

Posted December 17th, 2020 in children, environmental health, inquests, news, pollution by sally

‘A coroner has made legal history by ruling that air pollution was a cause of the death of a nine-year-old girl.’

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The Guardian, 16th December 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Role of grooming of women involved in violent crime examined as part of new gangs guidance – Crown Prosecution Service

‘Prosecutors working on gang-related cases which involve women and girls should consider if there is evidence they have been forced or groomed into committing crime, according to new legal guidance published today. The guidance, Decision-making in “gang” related offences, has been drawn up by the Crown Prosecution Service to give lawyers practical advice on building the strongest possible cases and gathering robust evidence to present to the court.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 16th December 2020

Source: www.cps.gov.uk