“Hugely important” 1996 Hague Convention anticipated to come into force on 1st August this year – Family Law Week

Posted April 4th, 2012 in contact orders, custody, families, international law, news by sally

“The Annual Report of the Office of the Head of International Family Justice for England and Wales has just been published. Lord Justice Thorpe, Head of International Justice for England and Wales reports on the activities of ‘the Office’ during the period January-December 2011.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 3rd April 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.com

Are We Missing a Trick? Section 34 of the Children Act – An under-used application – Family Law Week

Posted April 2nd, 2012 in children, contact orders, families, local government, news by sally

“Julie Stather, barrister, of 42 Bedford Row examines the advantages to child, parents and local authority of using section 34 of the Children Act.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 31st March 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.com

A v B and another (Female parents: Role of biological father) – WLR Daily

Posted March 16th, 2012 in assisted reproduction, children, contact orders, law reports, paternity by tracey

A v B and another (Female parents: Role of biological father): [2012] EWCA Civ 285;  [2012] WLR (D)  80

“Where a child was conceived by a mother and a father by virtue of an agreement between them that the child would live with and be brought up in the care of the mother and her female partner as the primary care givers of the child, there could be no general rule in family proceedings that the biological father was to be regarded only as a ‘secondary’ parent or to have a limited relationship with the child. Each case was fact specific and the welfare of the child was paramount.”

WLR Daily, 14th March 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Gay father wins right to be involved in son’s life – The Guardian

“The gay father of a two-year-old boy living with his lesbian mother and her partner has won the right to be involved in his life in a landmark ruling that could have significant implications for ‘alternative families’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 14th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Divorced fathers to get more contact with their children – The Guardian

Posted February 3rd, 2012 in children, contact orders, divorce, news by sally

“Fathers will get improved contact with their children following divorce, amid plans to rewrite the law governing custody disputes.”

Full story

The Guardian,3rd February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Principal Reporter v K and others – WLR Daily

Posted December 17th, 2010 in children, contact orders, human rights, law reports, parental rights, Scotland by sally

Principal Reporter v K and others [2010] UKSC 56; [2010] WLR (D) 332

“Positive procedural obligations inherent in the right to respect for family life required sufficient safeguards to be put in place so that a parent or other person whose family life with the child was at risk in the proceedings was given a proper opportunity to participate in the decision-making process.”

WLR Daily, 16th December 2010

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

High Court backs boy who rejected father – The Independent

Posted August 12th, 2010 in children, contact orders, domicile, news by sally

“A schoolboy who was told by a judge that he must live with the father he claimed to hate yesterday succeeded in forcing the High Court to reverse its decision.”

Full story

The Independent, 12th August 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

In re I (A Child) – WLR Daily

Posted December 4th, 2009 in conflict of laws, contact orders, domicile, EC law, law reports by sally

In re I (A Child) [2009] UKSC 10; [2009] WLR (D) 351

“The right of parties in child contact proceedings to opt in to the jurisdiction of an EU country which would not otherwise have jurisdiction to determine the child’s future, contained in art 12.3 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 on jurisdiction and enforcement in matrimonial and parental responsibility matters (‘Brussels II Revised’), could apply when the child was habitually resident outside the European Union.”

WLR Daily, 3rd December 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Fathers’ rights activist ‘elated’ – BBC News

Posted September 3rd, 2009 in contact orders, demonstrations, news by sally

“A fathers’ rights activist who handcuffed himself to a government minister during an eight-year campaign has won equal access to his daughter.”

Full story

BBC News, 3rd September 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

In re B (Minors) (Contact order: Enforcement) – Times Law Reports

Posted March 19th, 2009 in committals, contact orders, contempt of court, jurisdiction, law reports by sally

In re B (Minors) (Contact order: Enforcement)

Court of Appeal

“Where a local authority was in breach of a contact order, it was enforceable by committal for contempt of court.”

The Times, 19th March 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

In re B (Minors) (Contact Order: Enforcement) – WLR Daily

Posted March 3rd, 2009 in committals, contact orders, contempt of court, jurisdiction, law reports by sally

In re B (Minors) (Contact Order: Enforcement); [2009] WLR (D) 73

A contact order made under s 34 of the Children Act 1989 in the county court was enforceable by committal for contempt of court, and the court had jurisdiction to attach to a penal notice directed to the local authority in whose care the relevant child was.”

WLR Daily, 2nd March 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

 

 

Children and Adoption Act – more flexible approach to resolving disputes in contact cases – Ministry of Justice

Posted December 8th, 2008 in adoption, children, contact orders, news by sally

“New provisions in the Children and Adoption Act 2006, which come into force today, provide new ways to help the courts find solutions in contact cases where there is conflict between the parents about whom a child should see and how often.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 8th December 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Children and Adoption Act 2006: child-contact powers ‘could worsen parent wars’ – The Times

Posted December 8th, 2008 in adoption, children, contact orders, news by sally

“New powers to stop warring parents using contact with their children as a weapon could backfire and inflame fraught family relations, according to judges and lawyers.”

Full story

The Times, 8th December 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Practice Direction: Enforcement of Children Act 1989 contact orders: disclosure of information to officers of the national probation service – WLR Daily

Posted November 10th, 2008 in contact orders, disclosure, enforcement, practice directions, probation by sally

Practice Direction: Enforcement of Children Act 1989 contact orders: disclosure of information to officers of the national probation service; [2008] WLR (D) 346

In order to ensure that an officer of the Service or a Welsh family proceedings officer would not be in contempt of court by virtue of disclosing information to an officer of the National Probation Service when a request was made under s 11L(5) or s 11M of the Children Act 1989 the court should give leave to the officer to make such disclosure.”

WLR Daily, 7th November 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Practice Direction: Applications in the magistrates’ court to enforce contact orders – WLR Daily

Posted November 10th, 2008 in contact orders, enforcement, family courts, magistrates, practice directions by sally

Practice Direction: Applications in the magistrates’ court to enforce contact orders; [2008] WLR (D) 345

Applications to enforce contact orders made in the magistrates’ courts are to be considered by family proceedings courts.”

WLR Daily, 7th November 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.


More flexible approach to resolving disputes in contact cases – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 31st, 2008 in children, contact orders, news by sally

“The Children and Adoption Act 2006 provides new ways to help the courts find solutions in contact cases where there is conflict between the parents about whom a child should see and how often.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 30th October 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Courts do not treat non-resident parents unfairly – report – Ministry of Justice

Posted September 26th, 2008 in contact orders, divorce, family courts, press releases by sally

“An independent study published today shows that family courts are making great efforts with considerable success to secure child contact, following divorce or separation.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 25th September 2008

Source: www.justice.co.uk

Fathers’ groups are wrong: most men are winning right to see children, study shows – The Times

Posted September 26th, 2008 in children, contact orders, news by sally

“The vast majority of disputes between parents over contact with children end with fathers having access, contrary to claims by campaign groups, new research shows.”

Full story

The Times, 26th September 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Penalties for partners who block child access – The Observer

Posted September 8th, 2008 in community service, contact orders, news by sally

“Separated husbands and wives who block their former partners from seeing their children could be forced to do community service under new laws coming into force in the autumn.”

Full story

The Observer, 7th September 2008

Source: http://observer.guardian.co.uk

Children and Adoption Act 2006 – Court Rules – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 8th, 2008 in consultations, contact orders, family courts by sally

“This consultation seeks views on draft court rules and forms to support the implementation of the remaining provisions of the Children and Adoption Act 2006. These enable courts to use contact activities to help resolve child contact disputes and give them more flexible powers to enforce contact orders.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 7th May 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk