Rebecca Cross looks at a Court of Appeal ruling in a case where the ADM [agency decision maker] failed to carry out their duties properly.

Matthew Alderton reports on a case where a council was entitled to final injunctive relief to prevent the defendant from using confidential information that had been disclosed inadvertently.

The following Family practice note provides comprehensive and up to date legal information covering the operation of the Public Law Outline 2014 during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Joshua Swirsky discusses a recent case that considered local authority responsibility for young asylum seekers whose age had been challenged.

The children social care sector needs urgent reform to support families and avoid crisis, writes Jo Porter.

A social worker has recently been awarded damages by the European Court of Human Rights for unfair accusations of professional misconduct. Charlotte Gilmartin analyses the ruling.

What is the legal framework for schools in responding to 'Everyone's Invited'? Fiona Scolding QC, Samantha Broadfoot QC, Leon Glenister and Joe Thomas discuss.

Kerry Cockayne analyses important recent rulings for childcare lawyers on special guardianship orders, discharge of care orders, and joinder of foster carers.

Chris Wells analyses two important rulings for childcare lawyers that cover assessment of birth families, and interim separation.

A High Court Master has recently considered whether in ‘failure to remove’ cases where a child has been accommodated under section 20, the accommodation of the child gives rise to a duty of care by way of assumption of responsibility, even if other steps taken by the local authority do not do so. Paul Stagg analyses the ruling.

Fran Massarella reports on a recent case concerning an application to terminate a father’s responsibility for the child pursuant to s.4(2A) of the Children Act 1989.

The High Court has handed down a highly significant judgment in a ‘failure to remove’ claim involving a city council. Adam Weitzman QC and Caroline Lody provide a brief guide to the ruling and offer some preliminary thoughts on its implications.

The High Court has provided important guidance to local authorities on the extent of their notification duties under Article 37 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963, writes Edward Lamb.

Fran Massarella looks at the outcome of an application under Part 18 Family Procedure Rules 2010 to determine whether there was an obligation for the local authority to assess members of the mother’s “birth family”.

Andrew Bagchi QC and Anna Lavelle examine an important Court of Appeal ruling on fact-finding hearings and Lucas directions, and considerations of children giving oral evidence in family proceedings.

Fran Massarella examines a Court of Appeal case which concerned the test for granting leave to apply to discharge a special guardianship order and the construction of s.14D(5) of the Children Act 1989.

The Court of Appeal recently allowed an appeal by a father against findings that he had sexually abused his daughter, on the basis that the judge’s analysis was insufficient and flawed. Joanne Oakes examines the ruling.

Jackson LJ has reiterated the basic principles to be applied when determining whether to make care and placement orders and discussed the significance of lies in the context of welfare and the impact of lies when assessing the future risk of harm. Kate Pye-Jones examines the case.

Steven Ford QC analyses a ruling where, in the absence of fault, a local authority was not liable for sexual assaults committed by an employee of the private residential care home at which it placed the claimant. The relationship between the abusive employee and the placing authority was not akin to employment and the duty of care owed by the authority to the claimant was not non-delegable.

The following Family practice note from LexisNexis provides comprehensive and up to date legal information covering the participation of vulnerable people and evidence in family proceedings.