News Essentials: 8th May 2021


A brief summary of the essential family law news and cases from the last week: 

NEWS

High Court judge revokes adoption orders after acknowledging "exceptional circumstances"
A judge in the Family Division of the High Court has revoked adoptions orders for an 18 year old and a 16 year old after concluding that there were “compelling highly exceptional and particular circumstances” that supported such a step. Full story: Local Government Lawyer.

Sir Frederick Barclay ordered to pay estranged wife £100m
Daily Telegraph owner criticised by high court judge for ‘reprehensible’ behaviour during divorce battle. Full story: The Guardian.

Baby who died in 2017 was injured by his mother, High Court judge concludes
A three-month-old baby found dead more than three years ago was injured by his mother, a High Court judge has concluded. Full story: Care Appointments.

Council fails in appeal over direction by judge that parents and child should undergo residential assessment
A Family Court judge has rejected an appeal brought by a local authority against a case management decision by a district judge pursuant to s 38(6) of the Children Act (1989) directing that the parents and the subject child should undergo a residential assessment. Full story: Local Government Lawyer.

CASES

O, Re (A Child: The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963) [2021] EWHC 908 (Fam) (14 April 2021)
Care proceedings concerning child who arrived from Congo in August 2020. Judgment considering whether the local authority are under duty to notify the Congolese authorities. Full report: Bailii.

D v E (Termination of Parental Responsibility) [2021] EWFC 37 (30 April 2021)
Application by mother for, inter alia, order terminating father's parental responsibility for child. Full report: Bailii.

X and Y (private law - change of name - termination of parental responsibility) [2021] EWFC B24 (19 April 2021)
Applications by mother to terminate father's PR and change children's surnames, after father convicted for attempted murder of mother. Full report: Bailii.

Barclay v Barclay [2021] EWFC 40 (05 May 2021)
Hearing considering whether financial remedies judgment subject to interim reporting restrictions order should be published. Full report: Bailii.

D (care orders : final hearing) [2020] EWFC B65 (18 November 2020)
Final hearing of care proceedings concerning two children, in which the mother wilfully refused to engage with the court, the local authority and the guardian. Full report: Bailii.

AX v BX & Ors (Revocation of Adoption Order) [2021] EWHC 1121 (Fam) (23 April 2021)
Application by children aged 18 and 16 under the inherent jurisdiction to revoke adoption orders relating to them granted in 2011. Orders revoked. Full report: Bailii.

Z v Y (Revocation of Adoption Order) [2021] EWHC 1153 (Fam) (31 March 2021)
Application by biological father under the inherent jurisdiction to revoke an adoption order. Application dismissed. Full report: Bailii.

M and J (private law final hearing) [2021] EWFC B22 (08 February 2021)
Application by father for variation of shared-care child arrangements, after recommendation by LA that children live with him, due to mother's alcohol abuse. Full report: Bailii.

M (care proceedings - neglect - placement with father) [2021] EWFC B23 (04 May 2021)
Care proceedings concerning 13 year-old child of Irish Traveller community. Full report: Bailii.

M (Children) [2019] EWHC 39 (Fam) (27 June 2019)
Judgment in public law proceedings, in which the mother refused to accept previous findings that the father had not abused the children, and pursued a campaign on social media and elsewhere to have children returned to her. Full report: Bailii.

H (A Child : Fact Finding) [2021] EWFC 16 (24 March 2021)
Fact-finding in care proceedings, concerning cause of death of child's sibling. Full report: Bailii.

HW & WW (Covid 19 pandemic : set aside a financial remedy consent order?) [2021] EWFC B20 (26 November 2021)
Application by H to set aside financial remedies order due to effect of Covid-19 pandemic. Application dismissed. Full report: Bailii. See also my note, here.

A & B (Fact Finding: Head, Bony, Eye and Soft Tissue Injuries) [2020] EWFC 104 (25 November 2020)
Care proceedings concerning two children. Fact-finding concerning cause of injuries to younger child. Full report: Bailii.

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