Plymouth sex worker jailed for five years for allowing clients to rape and sexually abuse her daughters – The Independent

‘A sex worker who allowed her clients to rape and indecently assault her daughters in “almost Victorian” conditions has been jailed for five years. ‘

Full story

The Independent, 7th January 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Children: Private Law Update (December 2015) – Family Law week

Posted December 17th, 2015 in children, news, parental responsibility, surrogacy by tracey

‘Alex Verdan QC of 4 Paper Buildings reviews recent important judgments in private law children cases.’

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Family Law week, 16th December 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Section 20 Children Act 1989: Consent, Not Coercion – Issue or be Damned – Family Law Week

‘Jacqui Gilliatt, barrister, and Amy Slingo, pupil, both of Four Brick Court, set out lessons to be learned from the recent judgments concerning section 20.’

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Family Law Week, 24th November 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Questioning the Use of Section 20 – Family Law Week

Posted December 3rd, 2015 in care orders, children, news, parental responsibility, social services by tracey

‘Judith Masson, Professor of Socio-legal Studies at the University of Bristol, considers section 20 of the Children Act 1989 within its broader historic, legal and practice context.’

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Family Law Week, 26th November 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

“… this can no longer be tolerated”: a short guide to the correct use of section 20, Children Act 1989 – Family Law Week

‘Alex Laing, barrister of Coram Chambers, concludes his review of N (Children) (Adoption: Jurisdiction) by considering what the President said about section 20 agreements.’

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Family Law Week, 11th November 2015

source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Prosecuting parents for term-time holidays – Education Law Blog

Posted November 10th, 2015 in appeals, education, fines, holidays, local government, news, parental responsibility by sally

‘We posted last month about a decision by a magistrates’ court on the Isle of Wight to throw out the prosecution of a parent for taking his child on holiday during term time. The BBC reports that the local authority has appealed and that the question is whether “the unauthorised absence of a child for seven consecutive school days on holiday… amounts to the child failing to attend the school regularly“.’

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Education Law Blog, 5th November 2015

Source: www.education11kbw.com

In re Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (Cases A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H) – WLR Daily

In re Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (Cases A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H) [2015] EWHC 2602 (Fam); [2015] WLR (D) 387

‘Although directions given by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (“HFEA”) from time to time in accordance with its statutory powers had at all material times required that any consent required under sections 37(1) and 44(1) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 “must” be recorded in a specified form, the court could (i) act on parol evidence to establish that forms which could not be found were in fact properly completed and signed before treatment began, and (ii) correct mistakes in the forms either by rectification where the requirements for that remedy were satisfied, or where the mistake was obvious on the face of the document, by a process of construction without the need for rectification.’

WLR Daily, 11th September 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Legal Parenthood: Modern Problems, Old Solutions – A review of The HFEA (A and Others) [2015] EWHC 2602 – Family Law Week

Posted October 1st, 2015 in assisted reproduction, consent, news, parental responsibility by sally

‘Deirdre Fottrell QC, 1 Garden Court Chambers, and Jemma Dally, Partner, Goodman Ray LLP, explain the factual background and legal issues involved in the President’s recent judgment in The Matter of the HFEA (A and Others)’

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Family Law Week, 28th September 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

“Widespread incompetence” of fertility regulator and clinics lamented by President of Family Division – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 15th, 2015 in assisted reproduction, consent, human rights, news, parental responsibility by tracey

‘A and others (In the matter of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008).
This case is best summed up in Sir James Munby’s own words: “This judgment relates to a number of cases where much joy but also, sadly, much misery has been caused by the medical brilliance, unhappily allied with the administrative incompetence, of various fertility clinics. The cases I have before me are, there is every reason to fear, only the small tip of a much larger problem.” ‘

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UK Human Rights Blog, 11th September 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Baby boy trapped in legal limbo after family judge rules father has no legal rights over his son – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 8th, 2015 in children, news, parental responsibility, parental rights, surrogacy by sally

‘Child’s genetic father not recognised as parent under UK law despite full agreement of American surrogate mother.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th September 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

How Voluntary is Voluntary Accommodation? – Family Law Week

Posted August 14th, 2015 in children, housing, local government, news, parental responsibility by tracey

‘Leah Pitt, pupil barrister, 2 King’s Bench Walk, considers the latest developments in the use of agreements under section 20 of the Children Act 1989.’

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Family Law Week, 13th August 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Injuries to Infant with Bone Disorder: latest deliberations of the High Court – Family Law Week

‘Zimran Samuel, barrister of 42 Bedford Row, comments on Mr Justice Peter Jackson’s recent judgment concerning an infant with vitamin D deficiency induced rickets who had suffered multiple fractures.’

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Family Law week, 30th July 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Child Abduction and Inchoate Rights – Family Law week

Posted June 19th, 2015 in child abduction, law reports, parental responsibility, treaties by tracey

‘Marie Crawford, barrister of Becket Chambers, considers one of the most significant developments in relation to child abduction cases in the last thirty years.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 11th June 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Surrogacy agreement breakdowns–what are the issues? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘Are new laws needed to cover surrogacy arrangements and modern family set-ups? Mai-Ling Savage, a barrister and specialist in surrogacy, same-sex parenting and fertility law at Fourteen, a specialist family chambers, analyses a recent case which highlights the lack of a clear legal framework to enforce agreements made before the birth of a child.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 4th June 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

The role of the law, in the matter of Ashya King – OUP Blog

‘Parents of a child diagnosed with a serious illness are immediately required to make decisions about their child’s medical treatment which, in order to save life, may cause pain, unpleasant side-effects and risk damaging their child’s future quality of life. The actions, last summer, of the parents of five year old Ashya King offer just one example of the lengths to which parents will go to secure the best possible treatment for their child; researching alternative treatments, securing second opinions, finding a treatment centre offering innovative or experimental treatment, travelling abroad, selling belongings or otherwise raising funds for treatment. The Internet provides access to a host of information about the side effects and risks of conventional treatment, alternative treatments available across the world – if you can pay for them – and stories of their success.’

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OUP Blog, 22nd May 2015

Source: http://blog.oup.com

Bailiffs visit parents who took child out of school – Daily Telegraph

‘Parents hit with £1,200 bill after taking teenage son on holiday during school term.’

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Daily Telegraph, 9th April 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Single dad adopts surrogate baby born to his mother – Park Square Barristers

Posted March 19th, 2015 in adoption, families, news, parental responsibility, surrogacy by sally

‘The single father in the recent case B v C & Others (Surrogacy: Adoption) [2015] EWFC 17 (Fam) successfully obtained an adoption order which was the only means open to him to secure his legal relationship with his surrogate son. Alison Hunt of Park Square Barristers represented the father in this unique case in the Family Court before Mrs Justice Theis. The judgment opens the way for other single would-be parents to proceed in the same way, but it also highlights the very real pitfalls and uncertainty which await them in this difficult process. It raises questions about whether parental orders should be available to single applicants as they are for couples.’

Full story

Park Square Barristers, 9th March 2015

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

The Strange Case of the Salted Snack – BBC Law in Action

Posted February 18th, 2015 in food, health & safety, news, parental responsibility, school exclusions by sally

In this week’s Law in Action we tell the cheesy story of the 6-year-old boy excluded from school because of the salted snack in his lunch box. We ask what the law has to say about this – can a child be excluded because of what his or her parents have done?

Listen

BBC Law in Action, 17th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Family court judges given power to order DNA tests – BBC News

Posted February 17th, 2015 in DNA, family courts, news, parental responsibility, paternity, pilot schemes by sally

‘Family court judges in England will be able to order DNA tests to determine a child’s parentage from September, Justice Minister Simon Hughes has said.’

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BBC News, 17th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Presumption Of Parental Involvement Now In Force – Zenith Chambers

Posted November 18th, 2014 in children, legislation, news, parental responsibility by sally

‘After an unexplained delay, section 11 of the Children and Families Act 2014 was brought into force on 22nd October 2011.’

Full story (PDF)

Zenith Chambers, 4th November 2014

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk