MacQueen v MacQueen [2024] EWFC 400 (B) – Financial Remedies Journal

‘District Judge Ashby. Final hearing concerning an application for a final financial remedy order in proceedings concerning serious findings of non-disclosure.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 6th February 2025

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

Solicitor “cannot complain” to JCIO about judge’s criticism – Legal Futures

‘The High Court has rejected a solicitor and his client’s bid to challenge the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office’s (JCIO) refusal to entertain their complaints about three Court of Appeal judges.’

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Legal Futures, 4th February 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Disordered and chaotic’ financial remedies hearing adjourned over procedural breaches – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 4th, 2025 in adjournment, families, family courts, law firms, legal representation, news by sally

‘A recorder has adjourned a family court hearing after finding the parties had come to it “in such a disordered and chaotic state that it is simply impossible to proceed in a fair way.” ’

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Law Society's Gazette, 3rd February 2025

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Payouts for victims of UK infected blood scandal to be extended to families – The Guardian

Posted February 3rd, 2025 in bereavement, blood products, compensation, delay, families, inquiries, news by sally

‘Thousands of bereaved parents and children of victims of the infected blood scandal will be able to claim compensation for the first time under new proposed laws to be laid in parliament this month.’

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The Guardian, 2nd February 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mother awarded £2,400 over tutor battle for son – BBC News

‘A mother has been paid £2,600 after her local council caused “significant anxiety” by failing to provide her autistic son with the right tutoring.’

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BBC News, 3rd February 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

When Children Act orders can be made for older children – Becket Chambers

Posted January 31st, 2025 in chambers articles, children, families, learning difficulties, news by sally

‘Looking at the case of Re T (a child) (s 9(6) Children Act 1989 orders: exceptional circumstances: parental alienation) [2024] EWHC 59 (Fam). It is generally accepted that orders are not made for older children aged 16, (or even from the age of 14 in many cases). So when will the court make an order for a child aged 16? A section 8 order cannot extend beyond the age of 16 (apart from “live with” orders) and new section 8 orders cannot be made in respect of a 16-year-old, save for in “exceptional circumstances”.’

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Becket Chambers, 16th January 2025

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Judges who oversaw Sara Sharif’s family court cases before her murder named – The Independent

‘Three judges who oversaw Sara Sharif’s family court cases before she was murdered by her father and stepmother have now been named by a court. Judge Alison Raeside, Judge Peter Nathan and Judge Sally Williams were named on Friday as the three judges who were all involved in family court proceedings related to the care of the 10-year-old between 2013 and 2019 after a Court of Appeal ruling overturned a ban on the media identifying them.’

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The Independent, 31st January 2025

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Planned UK people-smuggling laws risk ‘criminalising’ asylum seekers, charities say – The Guardian

‘Keir Starmer’s planned people-smuggling laws risk “criminalising” hundreds of asylum seekers, refugee charities have said, after it emerged that people who refuse to be rescued by the French authorities could be jailed for five years.’

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The Guardian, 30th January 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court judge criticises ‘unconscionable delay’ in care case, extension of statutory time limits ‘by default’ – Local Government Lawyer

‘A High Court judge has made a care order in relation to a four-year-old girl (F), finding that her best interests will be met by an adoptive placement outside her family, while criticising the “unconscionable delay” in the case, which took almost 30 months to reach a conclusion’

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Local Government Lawyer, 31st January 2025

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Injuries to a baby: Part 2 – the court’s decisions – Transparency Project

Posted January 30th, 2025 in care orders, child cruelty, children, families, family courts, local government, news by sally

‘The local authority threshold statement at this stage detailed the injuries and submitted that the fractures were caused by excessive force or shaking; the bruises and abrasions caused by grabbing or squeezing. The parents had not been honest about the cause of the injuries and if one of them had caused them, the other had failed protect to Claire from being injured. Additionally, the local authority relied on an injury that had occurred earlier in the summer but had at that time not been deemed a child protection matter. The statement set out a list of concerns relating to David’s drug use and to Amy’s failure to protect Claire from the consequences. There were also references to David’s inappropriate handling of Claire although eventually this particular point was not included in the judge’s findings.’

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Transparency Project, 29th January 2025

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

Of Dogs and Divorce – Financial Remedies review

Posted January 29th, 2025 in animals, divorce, dogs, families, news by sally

‘Of dogs and divorce: why treating pets as chattels is an anachronism.’

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Financial Remedies review, 28th January 2025

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

Couple defend first-cousin marriages amid ban call – BBC News

Posted January 27th, 2025 in families, Islam, marriage, news, Pakistan by sally

‘Family life is busy for Israr Hussain and his wife, Tasleem Akhtar, who have four daughters between the ages of five and 15. They chose to have their wedding back home in Pakistan in 2007 and live in Birmingham. The 47-year-olds are not only husband and wife, but also first cousins, as both of their fathers are brothers. Marrying a first cousin is commonplace among Muslim families. It is about protecting wealth, land and property and helps keep the family together. While marriage between first cousins is not illegal in the UK, medical experts say it can cause genetic diseases in the children they may bear.’

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BBC News, 27th January 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Press now allowed to report from family courts – BBC News

‘Journalists can now report from family courts in England and Wales in what the UK’s most senior family judge has called a “watershed” change.’

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BBC News, 27th January 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judges who allowed Sara Sharif to remain in her father’s custody to be named next week – The Independent

Posted January 27th, 2025 in anonymity, appeals, child cruelty, children, families, family courts, judges, murder, news by sally

‘Three judges that oversaw Sara Sharif’s family court cases before she was murdered by her father and stepmother, can be named in seven days, a court has ruled.’

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The Independent, 24th January 2025

Source: www.independent.co.uk

HO v TL – Business Valuations, Trust Interests & Needs Plus Costs – Becket Chambers

‘In view of the name of this case HO v TL [2024] 2 FLR 175, and the fact that the family business was a hotel business, I really hope that it will become known as “The Hotel Case”. Anyway, it does deserve to become known, because it is another decision from Peel J of the type referred to by Edward Kenny in his article last month, i.e. a really useful authority that sets out fundamental points, and quite a lot of them in this case. What is more, the costs decision in this case is also reported HO v TL (Costs) [2024] 2 FLR 200 and fits into the same category.’

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Becket Chambers, 18th December 2024

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Commerce over care: exploring legal advice given in potential economic abuse cases – Legal Ethics

Posted January 22nd, 2025 in debts, families, legal advice, news, solicitors, surety, women by sally

‘This paper argues that solicitors are required to lawyer relationally when delivering independent legal advice (ILA) to (predominantly) women set to provide suretyship for their intimate partner’s debts. Case law tells us that women providing suretyship may be entering the transaction under the coercion of their partner. Coerced debt is a form of economic abuse, which in turn is a form of domestic abuse. ILA in this context therefore provides an important intervention to potentially assist victims of abuse before entering (potentially more) debt at the hands of their abuser. To make ILA purposeful, solicitors must prioritise relational values/dynamics such as consultation, care, judgement, and empowerment; the anti-thesis of market-exchange lawyering which is characterised by the values such as objectivity and detachment. Market-exchange lawyering is also associated with ethical apathy as lawyers prioritise their client’s means-ends above all else, therefore failing to consider the broader implications of those ends (in terms of their client’s best interests and/or the public interest). Drawing on interview data with 22 solicitors, it is demonstrated that most interviewees provide tick-box ILA prioritising completion. That is, most interviewees prioritised values of commerce over values of care when acting for women who may be experiencing economic abuse.’

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Legal Ethics, 15th January 2025

Source: www.tandfonline.com

Ryan Wellings jailed after partner Kiena Dawes took her own life – The Guardian

‘A violent and controlling “monster” who subjected his late partner, Kiena Dawes, to repeated assaults, bullying and belittling has been jailed for six and a half years.’

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The Guardian, 16th January 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Kiena Dawes: The complex question at case’s heart – BBC News

‘At the heart of the trial had been a complex legal question – can an abuser be held criminally responsible for the death of a victim who has taken their own life?’

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BBC News, 17th January 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sara Sharif’s killers in sentence appeal bid – BBC News

‘The father and stepmother of 10-year-old Sara Sharif are seeking permission to appeal against their sentences for her murder.’

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BBC News, 16th January 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court of Appeal hears challenge to High Court ban on naming judges in Sara Sharif family case – Law Society’s Gazette

‘An order made by a High Court judge to restrain the naming of judges who sat in proceedings concerning the late Sara Sharif, who was murdered by her father and stepmother, infringed upon the principle of open justice ‘in a manner that is without any known precedent’, the Court of Appeal heard today.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 14th January 2025

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk