Children: Private Law Update (Autumn 2019) – Family Law Week
‘Alex Verdan QC of 4 Paper Buildings reviews recent important judgments in private law children cases.’
Family Law Week, 13th October 2019
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
Category: children
UK couple ‘had 11-year-old son stabbed to death to claim £150,000 insurance payout’ – The Independent
‘A couple are facing attempts to extradite them to India over claims they arranged the murder of their 11-year-old adopted son so they could claim a life insurance payout.’
The Independent, 17th October 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Police prosecute man for throwing paint over a carpet aged 12, 10 years after the offence was committed – Daily Telegraph
‘Police prosecuted a man for throwing paint over a carpet, 10 years after the offence which he committed aged 12.’
Daily Telegraph, 17th October 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Child slavery victims being lured back into exploitation due to lack of support amid surge in cases – The Independent
‘Child victims of modern slavery are being lured back into exploitation and falling into homelessness as cash-strapped local authorities struggle to cope with a surge in cases, charities have warned. Thousands of young people who have been trafficked and exploited, often by county lines gangs or through international criminal networks, are being left to navigate complex legal, education and immigration systems alone because austerity-hit services cannot adequately support them.’
The Independent, 18th October 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Heathrow expansion violates climate rights of children, say lawyers – The Guardian
‘The multibillion-pound expansion of Heathrow violates the rights of children and future generations, who will face the greatest impact of the climate crisis, lawyers will argue at the court of appeal in London.’
The Guardian, 17th October 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
Pregnant In Prison: ‘I Told Them The Baby Was Coming And Ended Up Giving Birth In My Cell’ – Rights Info
‘A newborn baby recently died in prison after a woman gave birth alone in her cell at night.’
Rights Info, 16th October 2019
Source: rightsinfo.org
Mother seeks to make seriously ill girl Italian citizen after legal win – The Guardian
‘The mother of a five-year-old girl with a serious brain injury is seeking Italian citizenship for her daughter, after winning a legal fight to prevent her life support being switched off.’
The Guardian, 16th October 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
UK to deport academic to Democratic Republic of Congo – which she has never visited – The Guardian
‘Furaha Asani, a young academic at Leicester University, was shocked when her visa application was rejected in August. But real fear set in when she realised Britain plans to deport her in three weeks’ time to the Democratic Republic of Congo – a war-torn country she has never visited and where the Home Office agrees sexual violence is pervasive.’
The Guardian, 15th October 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
Court bid to stop LGBT lesson protests at Birmingham school starts – The Guardian
‘City council asks high court for permanent exclusion zone around Anderton Park primary.’
The Guardian, 14th October 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
Number of British modern slavery victims up 72% in a year, figures show – The Independent
‘The number of British people identified as modern slavery victims has surged by 72 per cent in a year, according to figures, fuelling concerns about “county lines” drugs gangs and other forms of labour exploitation.’
The Independent, 14th October 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Too many children in care end up in the criminal justice system – we need to do better – Family Law
‘Laura Cooper writes about the crucial role that youth justice lawyers have to play in reducing the criminalisation of looked after children at the police station.’
Family Law, 9th October 2019
Source: www.familylaw.co.uk
Cafcass backs renewed focus on pre-proceedings work in public law children cases – but rejects direct role – Local Government Lawyer
‘Cafcass has said it supports a renewed focus on pre-proceedings work and managing risk in public law children cases, with more emphasis on gaining and recording the wishes and feelings of children at that stage.’
Local Government Lawyer, 9th October 2019
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
HMP Bronzefield baby death ‘subject of 10 investigations’ – BBC News
‘The death of a newborn baby whose mother gave birth alone at Britain’s largest women’s prison is the subject of 10 investigations, a justice minister has told the Commons.’
BBC News, October 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Godparent v guardian – Family Law
‘Many parents assume that if they have appointed a godparent for their child, that the godparent will be able to step in to take care of the children if they were to die, but this is not the case.’
Family Law, 7th October 2019
Source: www.familylaw.co.uk
Children being ‘set up to fail’ on release from custody by authorities, watchdog finds – The Independent
‘Children jailed for criminal offences are being “set up to fail” by authorities who fail to give them the support they need to stop offending, a watchdog has found. Half of the 12 to 17-year-old boys whose cases were examined by HM Inspectorates of Probation and Prisons, were being investigated by police again within three months of being released from young offender institutions.’
The Independent, 8th October 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Gender recognition and parenthood – Family Law
‘Jeremy Ford, a Solicitor-Advocate at Cambridge Family Law Practice, acted pro bono on behalf of the Litigation Friend for the child at the centre of the landmark case of TT v Registrar General of England and Wales and Secretary of State for Health and Social Careheard by the President of the Family Division. The judgment was handed down on 25 September 2019 and has been reported as TT, R (On the Application Of) v The Registrar General for England and Wales[2019] EWHC 2384 (Fam) (25 September 2019).’
Family Law, 7th October 2019
Source: www.familylaw.co.uk
Shaken baby syndrome cases ‘tip of the iceberg’ – BBC News
‘More than 220 infants in the UK were killed or injured as a result of being shaken in the past decade, analysis of NSPCC figures has found. Serious case reviews were carried out on 1,253 children, with nearly one in six of those reports concluding the youngster had suffered a brain injury. The charity said it believed that number was “the tip of the iceberg”.
BBC News, 7th October 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Magistrates raise concerns over county lines defence ‘loophole’ – The Guardian
‘A legal defence for children who claim they are being exploited by county lines drug gangs needs to be monitored more closely, the Magistrates’ Association has warned.’
The Guardian, 6th October 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Unprecedented’ level of special needs complaints upheld – BBC News
‘Breaches of children’s legal right to have special educational needs support have reached unprecedented levels, says an official complaints body. England’s local government ombudsman said not only had there been a spike in complaints, but nine out of 10 of them were upheld in 2018-19.’
BBC News, 4th October 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Tafida Raqeeb: Brain-damaged girl can go abroad for treatment – BBC News
‘The parents of a brain-damaged girl will be allowed to take her abroad to continue her treatment, the High Court has ruled.’
BBC News, 3rd October 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
