‘Kate Aubrey-Johnson of the Garden Court Criminal Defence Team and Dr Laura Janes of The Howard League for Penal Reform, have prepared a practitioner’s guide on ending the detention of children during the COVID-19 lockdown period.’
Garden Court Chambers, 1st May 2020
Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk
‘On Friday 24 April 2020, the Government passed a statutory instrument making potentially significant changes to the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations 2010, and the obligations on local authorities imposed by those regulations. In addition to the amendments to the 2010 Regulations, other regulations were amended including the Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005, and the Fostering Services Regulations 2011. This briefing note summarises the main changes to the requirements for local authorities.’
Spire Barristers, 28th April 2020
Source: spirebarristers.co.uk
‘From the moment that the Government announced the possibility of lockdown measures being imposed, lawyers were inundated with questions about whether and how Child Arrangements Orders should be implemented over this period.’
Becket Chambers, 29th April 2020
Source: becket-chambers.co.uk
‘An eight-year-old British boy is taking the Home Office to the high court over its policy of denying families like his access to the welfare safety net.’
The Guardian, 6th May 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘This is the first appeal in a case relating to the welfare of children to reach the Court of Appeal on the issue of remote hearings during the Covid-19 crisis.’
Broadway House Chambers, 1st May 2020
Source: broadwayhouse.co.uk
‘The Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, has sharply criticised the government’s relaxation of regulations relating to children’s social care, saying she does not believe that they are necessary except in one limited case.’
Local Government Lawyer, 1st May 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The government is considering whether children in police stations should have to opt out of receiving legal advice, rather than opt in as now, it has emerged.’
Legal Futures, 4th May 2020
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘The regulations make changes to the duties that local authorities have with regards to safeguarding children. These are temporary changes and the regulations give a date in September 2020 for them to lapse. This date can be extended, reviewed or simply removed. They were simply made by virtue of the Coronavirus Act 2020. Parliament did not need to approve them first.’
Transparency Project, 3rd May 2020
Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk
‘A High Court judge has sent ministers a copy of a ruling in which he expressed concern at a “nationwide problem” of the very limited capacity in the children’s social care system for young people with complex needs who need secure care.’
Local Government Lawyer, 29th April 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘A panel that hears appeals against decisions on school places in Richmond-upon-Thames must reconsider a decision in relation to a family resident in rented property, the High Court has ruled.’
Local Government Lawyer, 30th April 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The Department for Education has taken two key steps to relieve councils of duties related to children with special educational needs (SEN) during the Covid-19 crisis.’
Law Society's Gazette, 1st May 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘A paralegal who was working at the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been banned from the profession after being jailed for online sexual offences involving children.’
Legal Futures, 1st May 2020
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘The Court of Appeal has handed down rulings in the first two appeals relating to the welfare of children to have reached the court on the issue of remote hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic.’
Local Government Lawyer, 30th April 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The government has amended several sets of regulations with a view to assisting the children’s social care sector during the coronavirus pandemic but the move has been strongly criticised by a children’s rights charity.’
Local Government Lawyer, 28th April 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Coronavirus has led to a “global slowdown” in the removal of internet child abuse images, say campaigners.’
BBC News, 27th April 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘COVID-19 is a dangerous reality for prisoners. As of 18 April 2020, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in over half of prisons in England and Wales. There have been 13 suspected COVID-19 deaths among prisoners[1]. Amongst this wider concern, those who are pregnant and children in custody may be particularly anxious during this unprecedented time.’
One Pump Court, 21st April 2020
Source: onepumpcourt.co.uk
‘Following the successful launch and running of the financial remedy and property arbitration scheme set up by Institute of Family Law Arbitrators (IFLA)[1] in February 2012, in July 2016 IFLA commenced the Children Scheme. Its aim is to provide parties with an alternative to Court, and is particularly useful when a dispute has reached the point that mediation is likely to be ineffective and where a neutral third party needs to make a decision as to what is in the child’s best interests in a particular circumstance.’
Pump Court Chambers, 21st April 2020
Source: www.pumpcourtchambers.com
‘This is a serious FII case, and concerned care proceedings involving a 7 year old child. It was alleged that the mother had falsely made a number of damaging claims that her child was suffering from a myriad serious ailments and health conditions. This was all hotly disputed by the mother, so the case was fully contested. It had been fixed several months previously for a 15 days fact finding and disposal hearing before a Judge at Guildford Law Courts. Following the lockdown, the Judge had decided the case would proceed as a remote hearing using the Skype video platform.’
Garden Court Chambers, 22nd April 2020
Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk
‘It is possible that there will be “huge spikes in demand across the children’s social care spectrum”, a backlog of new care applications and more children needing to come into care as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, the President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services for 2020/21 has warned.’
Local Government Lawyer, 23rd April 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The Defendants employed a 30 year old man “Hughes” as a kitchen porter from 15 October 1990 to 10 July 1991 at their school for girls. He was provided with accommodation on the school premises. The Defendants were not aware that Hughes had a criminal record, including offences of indecent assault on a female and unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 15. Had the Defendants been aware of these convictions, Hughes would not have been offered employment.’
39 Essex Chambers, 22nd April 2020
Source: www.39essex.com
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