News & Events: Children Law (Private)
Article Re F (A Child) (International Relocation Cases) [2015] EWCA Civ 882
The parties (Mother (“M”) and Father (“F”)) were involved in a dispute regarding their 12-year-old daughter (“L”). Cross-applications were made by them, M applying to remove L from England and Wales to take her to Germany, and F applying for a child arrangements order regarding his contact with L. The case was heard at first […]
Father found guilty of prolonged sexual abuse
Sarah Jones has successfully prosecuted a defendant who has been found guilty of prolonged sexual abuse against his daughter from the age of 9 years’ old for approximately 2 years. The Defendant groomed her by showing her videos from the internet showing sexual activity between adults and young girls before going on to rape her […]
Father jailed for abandoning 2 year old child
A drunk father who abandoned his two-year old child in a car park at night has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for Child Cruelty. Neil Schofield, 35, from Weymouth was sentenced at the Crown Court at Dorchester, Richard Tutt, was instructed on behalf of the prosecution. For further details on this story as reported […]
Grandparents blocked from adopting grandchild
The grandparents of a three-year-old girl who lost their application to appeal to apply to care for their granddaughter are making a fresh fight to avoid her being placed with prospective adopters. An application for permission to apply for a special guardianship order and permission to apply to revoke a placement order will be heard before […]
Closing the door – Section 91(14) orders
Jennifer Lee sets out the courts’ approach when considering a barring order under section 91(14) of the Children Act 1989. As first featured in the Family Law Journal in November 2015. Section 91(14) of the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989) empowers the court, when disposing of an application under ChA 1989, to make an order […]
The misuse of section 20
Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 concerns the LA’s duty to provide a child with somewhere to live when he or she has no home, or no safe home. It ensures a child is provided for when no-one holds parental responsibility; or the child has been lost or abandoned; or the person who has […]
A (A Child) [2015] EWCA Civ 910
Background on the relevant law S.1 (2A) and (2B) of the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Children and Families Act 2014, states that there is a presumption that involvement (direct or indirect) of a parent in a child’s life will further the welfare of the child. This position is therefore the starting point […]
Successfully appealing a well-reasoned interim order
The recent Court of Appeal case of Re B (a child) (2015) is a reminder of the difficultly in successfully appealing a well-reasoned interim order. In this case the appellant father appealed against an order that his six-year-old son (B) should return to live with the respondent mother pending an investigation into B’s allegations. B’s […]
Children Law Seminar – Portsmouth
Pump Court Chambers Children Team are pleased to announce that our annual children law seminar will take place on Tuesday 16th June. Venue The Holiday Inn, Pembroke Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2TA (map) Schedule 13:00 – 13:30 – Registration / Working Lunch 13:30 – 14:00 – Private law update 14:00 – 14:30 – Jurisdiction in public […]
Child returned to parent
Jennifer Lee recently appeared in an urgent hearing for the peremptory return of a young child who had been wrongfully retained by the father on Christmas Day. The Court acceded to the application for the child’s immediate return at the first/urgent hearing. The issues are all the more complex because it has now transpired that […]
