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 [...]
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 [...]
Rozenberg on MoJ Cuts
Joshua Rozenberg warns of injudicious cost cutting of courts and legal aid: Many of the economies we can expect will be false ones. Cutting legal aid will simply lead to more litigants in person. Cases will take longer and court costs will rise. Vulnerable children will be at greater risk. There will be more miscarriages [...]
Smorgasbord
I managed to get away from court early today. No stringing things out just to earn an extra bob or two for me. No, common sense and good counsel prevailed and the public purse has been saved a pretty penny and justice done etc etc. But as always there is much to do back in [...]
WHY CARE?
Background to this post appears here. . Alas, this is not the beautifully crafted discussion piece I had wanted to post, but I cannot devote as much time to this as I would like, and so I offer it as your starter for ten in its slightly disjointed and unpolished form… . Firstly, let me [...]
Meltdown Imminent
Couldn’t have put it better myself. This letter from the ALC published in today’s Times is spot on. POSTSCRIPT: More superlatives – this time it’s implosion rather than meltdown (per Wall LJ).
Judge Dread – The Future
The Family Justice Review is calling for written evidence by the end of September (see here). Anyone who is considering submitting a response should consider this: at the recent oral evidence session I attended with other lawyers, the panel were asking serious and reaching questions about the extent to which the courts needed to be [...]
She's a Diamond
I’m dumbfounded by the blithe obliviousness of Naomi Campbell, opining at how inconvenient it is to her to have to give evidence to a tedious war crimes tribunal, as if it is something of no significance. Inconvenient, Naomi? Echoes of Tony Hayward wanting his life back anyone? It’s quite shocking to hear someone express herself in quite this [...]
Guarding the voice of children
Joint Position Statement from the Interdisciplinary Alliance for Children on CAFCASS working practices on the NAGALRO website (click on latest news in left hand menu, doc is currently 2nd item down in list). Nagalro and ALC have written to Anthony Douglas (CEO CAFCASS) to notify him that they will be advising their members not to [...]
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