Category: children

Seriously sick child and distraught parents – where to draw the line – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 27th, 2018 in children, human rights, medical treatment, news by tracey

‘Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust v Evans, James and Alfie Evans (a child by his guardian Cafcass Legal) [2018] EWHC 308 (Fam). This was an application by the hospital for a declaration to allow their doctors to withdraw life support from a 19 month old child, Alfie. He suffers from a progressive, ultimately fatal neurodegenerative condition, probably a mitochondrial disorder. His epileptic seizures have not been brought under control by anti-convulsant treatment. The evidence before the court was that even if these seizures were to end, his brain is “entirely beyond recovery”. However caused, his neural degeneration is both “catastrophic and untreatable”.’

Full Story

UK Human Rights Blog, 26th February 2018

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Girl with asthma died after doctor turned her away, inquest hears – The Guardian

Posted February 27th, 2018 in children, delay, doctors, health, inquests, negligence, news by tracey

‘A five-year-old girl with severe asthma died after being turned away from an appointment with an emergency doctor because she was five minutes late, an inquest has been told.
The coroner said the chance to provide Ellie-May Clark with “potentially life-saving treatment” was missed and she had been let down by failings in the system.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 26th February 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Portsmouth baby murder: ‘Poor information sharing’ before death – BBC News

Posted February 27th, 2018 in children, domestic violence, health, murder, news, reports, social services by tracey

‘Poor information sharing between agencies meant warning signs were missed in the lead up to the murder of a 19-day-old baby by his mother, a serious case review has found.
Nicola Brown, 43, from Portsmouth, was found guilty of the murder of her son Jake following a trial in 2016. She was ordered to serve life with a minimum of 14-and-a-half years.’

Full Story

BBC News, 27th February 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Mother who poisoned and suffocated her baby is jailed for life – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted February 23rd, 2018 in children, murder, press releases, sentencing by tracey

‘A mother who suffocated and poisoned her eight-week-old baby, causing his death, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years and nine months today (22 February).’

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 22nd February 2018

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Does the inclusion of families and children in family proceedings go far enough? – Family Law Week

Posted February 23rd, 2018 in children, families, family courts, judgments, news, witnesses by tracey

‘Adele Cameron-Douglas, barrister of 4 Paper Buildings, asks how children can continue to be involved in proceedings that concern them after their conclusion.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 22nd February 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Royal Derby Hospital baby deaths ‘preventable’ – BBC News

Posted February 23rd, 2018 in birth, children, hospitals, news, reports by tracey

‘A review into the deaths of dozens of babies at the Royal Derby Hospital between 2013 and 2016 has found many of them might have been preventable.’

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BBC News, 23rd February 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Alfie Evans: Appeal against ending life support – BBC News

Posted February 22nd, 2018 in appeals, children, medical treatment, news by sally

‘The family of a seriously ill boy is to appeal against a High Court ruling allowing doctors to switch off his life-support.’

Full Story

BBC News, 22nd February 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Child Contact Interventions – Family Law Week

Posted February 21st, 2018 in children, contact orders, news by tracey

‘Adrian Barnett-Thoung-Holland, barrister of St Alban’s Chambers, explains the practicalities of a valuable resource for children lawyers.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 15th February 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Parents lose legal fight to keep Liverpool toddler on life support – The Guardian

Posted February 21st, 2018 in children, consent, medical treatment, news by tracey

‘The parents of a seriously ill 20-month-old boy have lost a legal fight to keep their son alive after a judge ruled that further treatment would harm his “future dignity”.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 20th February 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Helping child witnesses: ‘One girl gave evidence with a hamster on her lap’ – The Guardian

Posted February 19th, 2018 in children, courts, criminal justice, cross-examination, news, sexual offences, trials, witnesses by sally

‘They might be victims of rape, or witnesses to murder. But can they really be relied upon to tell the truth at trial?’

Full Story

The Guardian, 17th February 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Children Act and Housing – (not) joining the dots – Nearly Legal

Posted February 19th, 2018 in children, disabled persons, housing, local government, news by sally

‘This is a very interesting judicial review, concerning the interrelation of a council’s housing duties under Part 6 and Part 7 Housing Act 1996 and duties to children under s.17 Children Act 1989.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 18th February 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Government rules out granting medical cannabis licence to boy, 6, with ‘death sentence’ epilepsy condition – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 19th, 2018 in children, drug offences, health, licensing, news by sally

‘The government has ruled out issuing a medical cannabis licence to a six-year-old boy whose rare form of epilepsy improved after taking the drug abroad.’

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Daily Telegraph, 18th February 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Things children say – Disclosure, allegations and why language matters – Transparency Project

Posted February 16th, 2018 in child abuse, children, evidence, news, social services by sally

‘Earlier this month the NSPCC put out a call on twitter for professionals to respond to a survey they are running as part of the evidence gathering phase of ‘a project to support professionals to take the appropriate action when they have concerns about the safeguarding of children and young people’. That project is said to build upon an earlier project : ‘No one noticed, no one heard – A study of disclosures of childhood abuse’.’

Full Story

Transparency Project, 15th February 2018

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

‘Criminalised, detained, deported’: UK accused of failing trafficked children – The Guardian

Posted February 8th, 2018 in asylum, children, deportation, detention, news, trafficking in human beings, victims by tracey

‘Child trafficking victims deported back to Vietnam by the British government face the risk of being retrafficked and further exploited, lawyers and child protection groups have warned.’

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The Guardian, 7th February 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Isaiah Haastrup father to appeal over decision to end life support – The Guardian

Posted February 7th, 2018 in appeals, birth, children, consent, medical treatment, news by tracey

‘The father of a boy with brain damage is preparing an appeal against a high court ruling allowing doctors to stop providing life support for his 11-month-old son.’

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The Guardian, 6th February 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Availability of Legal Aid for Applications Pursuant to the 1996 Hague Convention – Family Law Week

Posted February 6th, 2018 in children, legal aid, news, parental responsibility, regulations, treaties by tracey

‘Anne-Marie Hutchinson OBE QC (Hon), Partner, Dawson Cornwell, and Michael Gration, Barrister, 4 Paper Buildings, highlight an oversight in LASPO.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 4th February 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Council faces legal challenge over award of children’s public health contract – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 2nd, 2018 in children, contracting out, health, local government, news, young persons by sally

‘Two NHS trusts have brought a legal challenge over Lancashire County Council’s award of a contract for public health services for children aged 0 to 19.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 1st February 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Life sustaining treatment – whose decision? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 1st, 2018 in children, doctors, human rights, medical treatment, news, parental rights by tracey

‘Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust v Thomas and others [2018] EWHC 127 (Fam). Parental love is to be cherished by society, particularly when a child is sick. But the “flattering voice of hope” is not always in best interests of the object of that love. So concluded MacDonald J in a recent ruling which has attracted considerable media attention.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 31st January 2018

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Home Office urged to reverse ‘grotesque’ decision to send child slavery victim back to country he was trafficked from – The Independent

Posted February 1st, 2018 in asylum, children, deportation, news, trafficking in human beings, victims by tracey

‘The Home Office is being urged by leading charities to reverse its decision to refuse asylum to a child slavery victim which would see him forced to return to the country from which he was trafficked.’

Full Story

The Independent, 1st February 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Doctors Can Stop Baby’s Life Support Against Parent’s Wishes – Rights Info

Posted January 30th, 2018 in children, doctors, human rights, medical treatment, news, parental rights by sally

‘A High Court judge has ruled that the life support of 11-month-old Isaiah Haastrup can be withdrawn by doctors, after being told further treatment would be “futile, burdensome and not in his best interests”.’

Full Story

Rights Info, 29th January 2018

Source: rightsinfo.org