Category: families

Re W – a successful appeal against a placement and care order (and a costs order against the LA) – Transparency Project

Posted February 14th, 2020 in adoption, appeals, care orders, children, costs, families, fostering, local government, news by sally

‘The appellant is the great-aunt of J, a child who was the focus of care proceedings that began in 2017. J’s mother accepted early on that she could not care for him and the proceedings focused on assessment of his great-aunt instead. Throughout the care proceedings the great-aunt was unrepresented (and for most of it, not a party). She is a formidable woman.’

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Transparency Project, 13th February 2020

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Employees and child protection issues – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 14th, 2020 in appeals, children, disclosure, employment tribunals, families, news, probation, professional conduct, unfair dismissal by sally

‘The Employment Appeal Tribunal recently considered whether a probation service officer who failed to disclose a child protection issue was fairly dismissed. Ceri Fuller, Zoë Wigan and Hilary Larter analyse the outcome.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th February 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Branston murders: Man jailed for killing mother and her partner – BBC News

Posted February 14th, 2020 in families, imprisonment, mental health, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man who strangled his mother and battered her partner with a hammer to see “how he would feel if he killed” has been jailed for at least 32 years.’

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BBC News, 13th February 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Family of UK man who died in police custody criticises watchdog – The Guardian

Posted February 12th, 2020 in bereavement, death in custody, disciplinary procedures, families, misfeasance in public office, negligence, news, ombudsmen, police, professional conduct, unlawful killing by sally

‘The family of a man who died in custody last month has criticised the police watchdog for failing to recommend the suspension of officers being investigated over the circumstances of his death.’

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The Guardian, 11th February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

The President’s Call For Evidence – First Thoughts – Transparency Project

Posted February 12th, 2020 in confidentiality, consultations, evidence, families, family courts, news, privacy, reporting restrictions by sally

‘It was last May, not long after he had dealt with journalist and TP member Louise Tickle’s successful appeal against a wrongly imposed reporting restriction order, that the President of the Family Division announced he would be holding a ‘Transparency Review’.’

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Transparency Project, 11th February 2020

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Family In Legal Bid As Son Denied ‘Life-Saving’ Cannabis-Based Medicine – Each Other

Posted February 12th, 2020 in children, families, medicines, news by sally

‘The family of a two-year-old boy with a rare medical condition is taking an NHS Trust to court for refusing to prescribe a cannabis-based treatment they believe is helping him.’

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Each Other, 12th February 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

Jeremy Bamber lawyers say new evidence undermines conviction – The Guardian

Posted February 12th, 2020 in disclosure, documents, evidence, families, forensic science, murder, news, police, suicide by sally

‘Lawyers for Jeremy Bamber, who is serving a whole life sentence for murdering his family, have unearthed evidence that they say undermines the claim that it was “inconceivable” for his adoptive sister to have shot herself.’

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The Guardian, 11th February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘The crisis in private law’ – by Sir James Munby – Transparency Project

Posted February 11th, 2020 in children, families, family courts, news, practice directions by sally

‘This is a talk by Sir James Munby (lately President of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales) at the Conference in Edinburgh on 10 February 2020 of Shared Parenting Scotland.’

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Transparency Project, 10th February 2020

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Jamaican-born deportees mount last-minute challenges against Home Office – The Guardian

Posted February 10th, 2020 in colonies, deportation, families, government departments, immigration, murder, news by sally

‘Dozens of Jamaicans in the UK are mounting last-minute legal challenges to try to halt their deportation on a Home Office charter flight scheduled for Tuesday.’

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The Guardian, 10th February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Lessons to be learned after judge criticised for ‘obsolescent’ views – Family Law

Posted February 7th, 2020 in appeals, bills, children, consent, domestic violence, families, family courts, judges, news, rape, sexual offences, victims by tracey

‘A family case has recently been the subject of an unusual level of attention from the media, both legal and mainstream, much of it reflecting badly upon the family justice system. I thought I should look at the case, in particular, the lessons that can, or cannot, be learned from it.’

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Family Law, 7th February 2020

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

‘Training is not enough’: Family lawyers target Tolson over ‘outdated’ views on consent – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 7th, 2020 in children, consent, domestic violence, families, family courts, judges, news, rape, retrials, sexual offences by tracey

‘Lawyers, campaigners and politicians are calling for wider action to be taken after a judge was condemned for employing “obsolescent concepts” on consent in a family case.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 6th February 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Grenfell Tower inquiry backs protection for refurbishment firms giving evidence – BBC News

Posted February 7th, 2020 in accidents, admissibility, bereavement, building law, construction industry, evidence, families, fire, health & safety, inquiries, negligence, news, police, professional conduct, standards, victims by tracey

‘The chairman of the Grenfell Tower inquiry has backed a request from firms that refurbished the building that evidence they give should not be used against them in criminal prosecutions.’

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BBC News, 7th February 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Helen McCourt killer’s release confirmed as mother loses legal bid – The Guardian

Posted February 6th, 2020 in bereavement, bills, disclosure, families, murder, news, parole, victims by sally

‘The killer of Helen McCourt is due to be freed from prison next week despite never revealing where he hid her remains.’

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The Guardian, 5th February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Vulnerable witness, domestic abuse and special measures- the importance of ensuring a fair trial – Becket Chambers

Posted February 5th, 2020 in appeals, chambers articles, domestic violence, families, family courts, judges, news, rape, sexual offences, trials, victims, witnesses by sally

‘This article explores the approach a court should take in relation to vulnerable witnesses, in particular those that have experienced domestic abuse. The recent case of H v F [2020] EWHC 86 (Fam) demonstrates that a case will be successful on appeal if the correct procedures are not complied with.’

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Becket Chambers, 3rd February 2020

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Civil partnerships for heterosexual couples: what you need to know – Family Law

Posted February 5th, 2020 in civil partnerships, equality, families, inheritance tax, marriage, news, prenuptial agreements, taxation, wills by tracey

‘As of 31st December 2019, it is now possible for both same-sex and heterosexual couples to enter into a civil partnership. The institution was initially devised solely for same-sex couples through the Civil Partnership Act 2004; it was meant to be a distinct separate relationship status for same-sex couples akin, but different to, a marriage. This has now changed and moving into 2020, heterosexual couples may opt for a civil partnership instead of a marriage.’

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Family Law, 5th February 2020

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

The Separate Representation of Children: Part 1 – Family Law Week

Posted February 5th, 2020 in care orders, children, codes of practice, families, family courts, guardianship, legal representation, news by tracey

‘Shiva Ancliffe reviews the law relating to the determination of whether a child should be separately represented in proceedings.’

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Family Law Week, 2nd February 2020

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

The Separate Representation of Children: Part 2 – Family Law Week

Posted February 5th, 2020 in care orders, children, codes of practice, families, family courts, guardianship, legal representation, news by tracey

‘Shiva Ancliffe reviews the law relating to the determination of whether a child should be separately represented in proceedings.’

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Family Law Week, 3rd February 2020

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Helen McCourt murderer Ian Simms to be released imminently – BBC News

Posted February 5th, 2020 in bereavement, bills, disclosure, families, murder, news, parole by tracey

‘A man jailed over the murder of a 22-year-old woman is due to be freed from prison imminently despite never revealing where he hid her remains.’

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BBC News, 4th February 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

“Brain dead” baby – how the court decides doctors can withdraw life support – Transparency Project

Posted February 3rd, 2020 in anonymity, birth, children, doctors, families, hospitals, Islam, medical treatment, news by sally

‘In a recent case the court had to consider whether to allow a hospital to withdraw mechanical ventilation from a baby, who had been starved of oxygen during his birth and had been declared brain-stem dead by doctors, despite the objections of the baby’s parents. Such cases are always agonising for all those involved and are approached with “anxious scrutiny” by the court. Often, as in this case, there is a clash between the science espoused by the medical profession and the feelings of the parents, guided by their religious beliefs.’

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Transparency Project, 2nd February 2020

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

People who worked on Grenfell Tower ‘could face life sentences’ – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2020 in accidents, bereavement, building law, families, fire, health & safety, inquiries, negligence, news, standards, unlawful killing by sally

‘People who worked on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment could face the threat of being jailed for life, their lawyers have said, with witnesses interviewed by police believing they could be charged with manslaughter.’

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The Guardian, 30th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com