Case Summaries

A father applied for contact with his children aged 5 and 2. The mother objected on the basis that the father had subjected her to very serious coercive and controlling behaviour, including rape. She wanted to reply upon what she argued was similar behaviour by the father towards his subsequent partner and her children. The Judge excluded that evidence and the mother appealed.

The appeal was allowed and the proceedings transferred back to the High Court for a finding of fact hearing. The Court of Appeal set out the general approach to be taken to similar fact evidence in civil and family proceedings.

Successful appeal of a decision to remove three children from their mother under pre-existing interim care orders

Decision of Roberts J in an ‘unusual application’ by a former wife for a financial remedy order in respect of A who is the parties’ only child, who is six years old.

Judgment of Lieven J determining various applications, including an application for committal for breach of a non-molestation order, arising from long-running private children and Family Law Act 1996 applications dating from 2000. Includes consideration of anonymisation of judgments where a complainant of sexual abuse risks being identified.

This appeal concerns the extent of the obligation upon the court in England and Wales to enforce a foreign order in relation to children. It directly concerns one provision of the Brussels II revised Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No. 2201/2003) (‘BIIa’) but the underlying principles are of broad application in cases where the court is faced with an enforcement application alongside a welfare application.

Consideration of costs following disclosure and permission to appeal

Appeal by a father in which the court of appeal considered a local authority’s powers in relation to changing the nationality of children in care

Select committee highlights risks to high street firms, law centres and newly qualified barristers

A probate claim before Master Teverson.

This was a successful appeal against a decision of HHJ Lea to refuse a mother’s application for direct contact to her children (who were being cared for by the Local Authority) as the lockdown restrictions eased. Appeal allowed.

This is an appeal from a return order made under the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention ("the 1980 Convention").

This is a second-tier appeal to the Court of Appeal regarding a claim for damages for professional negligence which may be time barred under s2 Limitation Act 1980

Application by a mother to prevent her husband and others from removing her child from the country or to perform FGM on the child.