Normal Service Will Resume…Soonish

Ok, we’re sort of getting to the point of going live on the redesigned site, along with a switcherooney of hosting. It should all be smooth and seamless and magical, and technically I shouldn’t even need to pre-warn you, but I suspect that there will be lumps and glitches before we get there. Be patient.

Thoughtful and Thought Provoking

A couple of pieces in the Guardian which are worth a read: here and here. No soundbites, just common sense and a thoughtful approach to the problems. The first, by a very sensible and knowledgeable family magistrate, almost makes me waver in my long held view that family cases are unsuitable for disposal in the [...]

Law Society Launch JR of LSC

Everyone’s at it. Now the Law Society has launched a JR of the LSC in respect of their tender process in family matters. See the Gazette. As reported yesterday another JR application yesterday got off to a positive start, with Collins J describing the LSC’s approach as irrational. That matter was adjourned off for 8 [...]

Panorama

On Monday Panorama showed a report on the journey through the family courts of a family accused of causing serious non-accidental injuries to their baby son: ‘Parents’ Child Abuse Nightmare’. After lengthy police investigation and care proceedings no prosecution was pursued and a finding of fact hearing exonerated the parents, the Judge holding that there [...]

Free CPD

Want some free CPD? Its approaching the CPD year end for solicitors (Oct) and not all that far off for barristers (Dec)… Well, lucky readers of Pink Tape may now sample the wares of CPDcast for free using the code below. CPDcast tell me that: ‘CPDcast is an online CPD provider to the legal profession, [...]

Love me Tender

Nearly Legal has posted a really important blog post on the LSCs shifting position on the question of matter starts given to firms under the recent tender process. He suggests that the LSCs new position may now put it in breach of its own tender rules and at risk of legal challenge from firms who [...]

Iconoclasts – A Modest Proposal

How charming: Tomorrow on Radio 4 at 8pm Edward Stourton chairs a live debate in which Professor David Marsland defends his view that the mentally and morally unfit should be sterilised. Part of the Iconoclasts Programme.

Democracy in action

Apparently, Pink Tape has been shortlisted for the 2010 Blawggie Awards, category Best Legal Commentary. Who’da thunk it? This could be my moment… Anyhoo, vote Now all you lovely readers.  Voting is open until Friday 3 Sept.

CAFCASS – What to do?

Thank Goodness for that – the new(ish) President of the Family Division has decided not to renew the guidance and may scrap the duty guardian scheme. See this article extracting an interview reported fully in Family Affairs. On another note, a proposal to scrap CAFCASS and to reallocate it’s responsibilities to local authorities. Clearly something [...]

Half Yearly Appraisal

Boy 2.0 is now 6 months old and it seems like a long time ago that I poured myself back into a slightly-too-tight suit and dragged my flabby sleep deprived self back to work. I was thinking how the haze is beginning to lift and that sometimes now I have time for hairdryer and breakfast [...]