Case Summaries

Application by consent to vary FGM protection orders to allow greater freedom to travel

Principles of open justice and their application to cases conducted in private

The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against an order that Wakefield should be the designated authority in respect of care proceedings regarding a child who was found to have no ordinary residence. Lady Justice King, giving the judgment of the court, reminded local authorities that designation disputes consume time and scarce financial resources, which are better spent on the children at the centre of such arguments.

Judgment by Mr Justice Moor on an application to set aside part of a final order made in 2015 on grounds of fraud, and for determination and payment of the amount of the proceeds of sale of the former matrimonial home due to the Applicant Husband by the Respondent Wife.

Appeal arising from the refusal of an anti-suit injunction.

Successful application for damages for direct discrimination in an adoption process under the Equality Act 2010

Judgment by Mrs. Justice Knowles in the long-running litigation between Mrs. Akhmedova and Mr. Akhmedov dealing with an application by Mrs. Akhmedova for directions pursuant to UL v. BK (Freezing Orders : Safeguards) [2014] Fam 35 in respect of Imerman documents provided to her by the former director of Mr. Akhmedov’s family office. The judgement offers suggestions for dealing with Imerman documents where the owner of the documents is not represented and/or is failing to engage in the proceedings.

After a dispiriting sequence of events, the net result of which is that after 21 months of care proceedings the welfare outcome for three children remains uncertain, Recorder Samuels, sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge, records and considers the difficult issues that had arisen surrounding placement with family members abroad. The judgment draws together research, guidance and case-law to provide invaluable assistance in respect of the challenges inherent in making safe and lawful kinship placements abroad.

Successful appeal against interim removal in care proceedings; Court of Appeal concluded the decision to separate was not a necessary and proportionate response to the situation that had arisen.

Four applications by a Local Authority regarding a child whose father had killed her mother. The applications sought were a care order for the child, permission to refuse contact between the child and her father pursuant to Section 34 (4), relief of duties under Section 22 CA 1989 to the father regarding the child and to discharge the father as a party to the care order and the Section 34 (4) applications.