13/04/2022
The Lord Chief Justice this morning handed down judgment in P (Children) (Disclosure) [2022] EWCA Civ 495 in which the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) refused an appeal relating to an application made by a Father in private law proceedings. That application sought a pre-emptive and wide ranging prohibition on anything that he might admit being disclosed to the Police was rejected at first instance by Hayden J. It was therefore far more extensive than the ambit of section 98 of the Children Act 1989 which does not apply to private law proceedings. Tom Little QC was instructed by the DPP and made both written and oral submissions after the Court of Appeal had invited the DPP to intervene in the appeal. A copy of the judgment can be found here
Much of children law involves the exploration of the facts relating to the child’s care and welfare, often coloured by the complex relationship dynamics between the adult protagonists. Occasionally, however, the facts which need to be established can be more fundamental. In John v Jane…
By Laura Hibberd Re E (A Child) (Special Guardianship Order: Public Law Proceedings) [2026] EWCA Civ 1167 Special guardianship orders are often thought of as the “middle ground” of permanence: more secure than a care order, less final than adoption, and with the child’s legal…
By Tim Parker KC The President of the Family Division handed down judgment on 29th September 2026 the decision in the first appeal following the introduction of Child-Focused Courts pilot. In Re C (Child Arrangements Orders; Domestic Abuse; Child Focused Court) [2026] EWCA Civ 1216…
Deka Chambers: 5 Norwich Street, London EC4A 1DR