Family Drug and Alcohol Courts backed by private donors – BBC News

Posted February 14th, 2019 in alcohol abuse, care orders, drug abuse, families, family courts, news by sally

‘A group of private backers has agreed to fund a national unit supporting courts which help parents deal with drug or alcohol addiction so their children are not taken into care.’

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BBC News, 14th February 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judge apologises after dozing off during High Court hearing – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 12th, 2019 in complaints, family courts, judges, news by tracey

‘A High Court judge has “expressed remorse” after falling asleep during a hearing.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th February 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The Domestic Abuse Bill: a long-awaited overhaul or flawed legislation with an implementation problem? – Family Law Week

‘Hannah Gomersall, barrister at Coram Chambers, explores the proposed reforms set out in the government’s Domestic Abuse Bill: its scope, workability and whether the Family Court will be able to cope with the ensuing workload.’

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Family Law Week, 7th February 2019

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Family courts next to test video hearings – Legal Futures

Posted January 28th, 2019 in consultations, family courts, judiciary, live link evidence, news, pilot schemes by sally

‘A test in the family courts will be the next step in exploring fully video hearings, against a backdrop of widespread concern about the technology among judges, it has emerged.’

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Legal Futures, 28th January 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Top judge urges family lawyers to curb late emails for sake of wellbeing – Legal Futures

Posted January 25th, 2019 in electronic mail, family courts, judges, news, time limits by tracey

‘Limits on how early or late lawyers can email each may be needed to avoid burn-out given the “remorseless” pressure the system is under, the president of the Family Division has suggested.’

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Legal Futures, 25th January 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The Thwaite Jurisdiction – No Longer the Last Reserve of the Desperate? – Family Law Week

Posted January 21st, 2019 in family courts, financial provision, jurisdiction, news by tracey

‘Joseph Rainer, barrister, Queen Elizabeth Building examines the use of the Thwaite jurisdiction in relation to the court’s power to revisit financial remedy orders by analysing the relevant case law and using some fictitious practical case studies.’

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Family Law Week, 16th January 2019

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

International Forum on Online Courts London, December 2018: an international family lawyer’s perspective – Family Law Week

Posted January 21st, 2019 in electronic filing, family courts, news by tracey

‘Professor David Hodson OBE MICArb, Partner, The International Family Law Group, provides a family lawyer’s perspective of the matters arising at the inaugural International Forum on Online Courts.’

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Family Law Week, 16th January 2019

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Man wrong to think kisses in estranged wife’s texts were ‘flirtatious’, judge rules – The Independent

Posted January 14th, 2019 in bills, divorce, domestic violence, families, family courts, news, telecommunications by tracey

‘A woman who ended text messages with a kiss was not being “flirtatious” with her estranged husband, a judge has ruled.’

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The Independent, 13th January 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Children: Public Law Update (December 2018) – Family Law Week

Posted December 14th, 2018 in care orders, child abuse, disclosure, evidence, family courts, identification, news, police, proof by tracey

‘John Tughan QC of 4 Paper Buildings reviews recent, important Children Public Law cases.’

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Family Law Week, 13th December 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Anonymisation Guidance – a curtain of secrecy? – Transparency Project

‘The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew MacFarlane issued some guidance last week on the anonymisation of published judgments in family court cases.’

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Transparency Project, 10th December 2018

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Family Court judge raps council for “woeful” care of two young women – Local Government Lawyer

‘A Family Court judge has condemned a council’s care for two young women as “woeful” and said he was “appalled” by failures of social workers and managers.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th December 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

President issues guidance on anonymisation in Family Court judgments – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 10th, 2018 in anonymity, family courts, news by sally

‘The President of the Family Division has issued guidance on two aspects of anonymisation and the avoidance of identification of children in judgments placed in the public arena.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th December 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Lift ban on payments for surrogates, says Sir James Munby – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 3rd, 2018 in expenses, family courts, judges, news, remuneration, surrogacy by tracey

‘A ban on paying surrogate mothers should be lifted, the former head of the family court, has said.’

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd December 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Jailed rapist offered the chance to see his victim’s child – Daily Telegraph

‘A council offered a jailed sex offender the chance to play a part in the future of the child of a woman he raped, it has emerged. The rapist, who was part of a grooming gang in the North of the country and has no parental responsibility for his son, was contacted by the local authority to give him a chance to see the boy, a Times investigation has uncovered.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th November 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Speech by Rt. Hon. Sir Andrew McFarlane: Association of Lawyers for Children Conference 2018 – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 26th, 2018 in care orders, children, family courts, guardianship, social services, speeches, time limits by tracey

‘Speech by Rt. Hon. Sir Andrew McFarlane: Association of Lawyers for Children Conference 2018.’

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Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 23rd November 2018

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Family lawyers told to draft court orders on the day – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 21st, 2018 in delay, drafting, family courts, news by tracey

‘Family lawyers will be expected to come to court with their laptops and draft orders on the day as part of a policy drafted to reduce delays caused by growing workloads and dwindling staff resources. The court orders policy came into force at London’s Central Family Court last week.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 20th November 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Speech by Lord Justice McFarlane: Bond Solon Experts Conference 2018 – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 12th, 2018 in expert witnesses, family courts, speeches by tracey

‘As a family judge, and now the judge responsible for the family justice system throughout England and Wales, I am very pleased to be able to address this conference and to take the opportunity to say something about the role of experts in family proceedings, the role of experts more generally before concluding, on a topic which may be of general interest to each of you, by saying something about the radical changes which are currently being developed and implemented in every court and tribunal and in every area of jurisdiction, be it criminal, civil or family law.’

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Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 9th November 2018

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Social services under fire after boy placed into foster care before grandparents knew he was born – The Indepdendent

Posted November 8th, 2018 in carers, children, family courts, fostering, grandparents, news, social services by tracey

‘A family court judge has criticised a council’s social services department after it emerged that a little boy was placed with foster carers when grandparents who might have offered a home were unaware of his existence.’

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The Indepdendent, 7th November 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Reform and the future of family justice: where is the court modernisation programme heading? – Family Law

Posted October 19th, 2018 in case management, family courts, news by sally

‘The following is an extract from a talk delivered by the immediate past President of the Family Division to the Cheshire and North Wales Resolution Family Law Conference at Chester on 25 September 2018. The full version will appear in the November issue of Family Law.’

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Family Law, 18th October 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Munby troubled by Court of Protection cases being ‘transferred up’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 18th, 2018 in children, Court of Protection, families, family courts, news by sally

‘Desperate parents are persuading less senior judges to transfer Court of Protection cases higher to force public authorities to act – a practice that the former president of the family division finds ‘deeply troubling’.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 16th October 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk