Surrogacy and step-parent adoption applications

A High Court judge has said that whilst many surrogacy arrangements work very successfully, a recent case before her provided a graphic illustration of the difficulties that can be encountered if the arrangement breaks down. Eleanor Suthern analyses the ruling. Read more

  NEWS

Mar 18, 2024

Judge dismisses 'failure to remove' negligence claims on basis councils were prejudiced by 36-year delay between expiry of limitation period and issue of proceedings

The High Court has dismissed common law negligence claims against two councils alleging they should not have placed the claimant with his mother, with the judge concluding that the delay between the expiry of the limitation period and the issue of proceedings had had a detrimental effect on the evidence and availability of key witnesses. In TA v Westminster City Council & Anor [2023] EWHC 3267…

  FEATURES AND ANALYSIS

January 25, 2024

Children law update

Michael Jones KC analyses the latest public law children cases of interest to practitioners.
January 25, 2024

Obtaining evidence from children

Mrs Justice Lieven recently set out a realistic approach to obtaining evidence from children. Holly Hilbourne-Gollop analyses the ruling.
January 25, 2024

HXA and YXA in the Supreme Court

A recent Supreme Court ruling was very helpful for local authorities and their insurers but may not be the last word on ‘failure to remove’ claims, writes Paul Stagg.
January 25, 2024

Placement orders: a rare sighting

A recent Court of Appeal judgment puts a spotlight on applications for the revocation of placement orders, writes Molly Gill.
January 24, 2024

Transparency in the Family Courts: The Reporting Pilot Rollout

Feargus Campbell provides a brief overview of the existing statutory framework governing attendance and confidentiality in the Family Courts before considering the Reporting Pilot and the associated ‘Transparency Order’, in the hope of demystify this brave new world.
January 05, 2024

Interim removal of children

A recent Court of Appeal authority is a useful case for family practitioners to have in their toolkit, particularly those representing parents facing applications for interim removal of their children, writes Malvika Jaganmohan.

  MORE NEWS

  MORE FEATURES

November 28, 2023

Ethnic inequalities and section 20 voluntary arrangements

Dr Charlotte Edney explores whether the ethnic inequalities uncovered in public law extend to section 20 voluntary arrangements, and explains why further research to understand ethnic inequalities is critical.
November 28, 2023

FGM and local authorities

Charlotte Baker looks at the important role of local authorities in tackling FGM.
November 28, 2023

Fathers without PR: where do they stand?

Jennifer Swan analyses a Court of Appeal ruling on whether a father without parental responsibility should be joined as a party to care proceedings.
October 13, 2023

Discharge of care orders

Dr Jo Staines, Dr Jessica Roy and Dr Beth Stone of the University of Bristol set out the issues that arise when applications are made by parents for the discharge of care orders in England and Wales.
October 13, 2023

Implementation of Jade's law

Amrita Hurst, Hannah Taylor and Jake Barras look at the questions raised by Justice Secretary Alex Chalk’s plan to implement “Jade’s law”.
September 26, 2023

Children remaining at home with their parents

In public law proceedings, where the final care plan is for a child to remain at home with their parent(s), should the court make a care or supervision order? Madeleine Miller reports on an important Court of Appeal ruling.
September 26, 2023

Therapy for parents pre-proceedings

There are powerful reasons why local authorities should consider the provision of therapy for parents pre-proceedings, writes Carrie Laws.
September 01, 2023

Is an appropriate adult always appropriate?

Sally Gore analyses a Court of Appeal ruling that considered the fairness of an age assessment when an appropriate adult was not used for the short-form assessment/interview.
August 22, 2023

Parental responsibility and the falsehood of paternity

Toby Craddock considers the lessons from two important cases where judges were called on to determine whether an unmarried man, who previously considered himself to be the children’s biological father, should lose parental responsibility after paternity testing was undertaken.
August 22, 2023

Ineligibility to be deprived of liberty under Schedule 1A Mental Capacity Act

Alex Ruck Keene KC (Hon), Neil Allen, Eliza Sharron and Arianna Kelly analyse the outcome of a complex appeal in the Court of Protection considering when a person is ineligible to be deprived of their liberty under Schedule 1A Mental Capacity Act. They also look at the judge’s suggestions for resolving ‘stalemate’ situations.