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Family proceedings – Orders in family proceedings. The local authority care plan in respect of a child had included an option for adoption and, if not achieved within six months, a dual track approach of pursuing adoption and long term fostering arrangements. The judge granted a placement order and the mother appealed. The Court of Appeal, Civil Division, held that it was not necessary for an authority to have a contingency in a care plan, although it was desirable and that an authority was not precluded from adopting a dual planning approach in an appropriate case. They also clarified that the phrase 'nothing else will do' was the conclusion of a proportionality evaluation after a process of deductive reasoning and not a new presumption or standard of proof.
Family proceedings – Orders in family proceedings. The local authority care plan in respect of a child had included an option for adoption and, if not achieved within six months, a dual track approach of pursuing adoption and long term fostering arrangements. The judge granted a placement order and the mother appealed. The Court of Appeal, Civil Division, held that it was not necessary for an authority to have a contingency in a care plan, although it was desirable and that an authority was not precluded from adopting a dual planning approach in an appropriate case. They also clarified that the phrase 'nothing else will do' was the conclusion of a proportionality evaluation after a process of deductive reasoning and not a new presumption or standard of proof.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
The Chief Legal Officer to the Metropolitan Police, barrister Brett Welch, tells Anthony Inglese CB about his mission and the work to turn the Met around
Barrister apprenticeships – shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar – are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Born from a grievance, their research project grew into a book and is now challenging the status quo. Emma Price and Emma-Louise Fenelon reveal the key findings – and the critical next steps
Grok around and find out – or not? Mariya Peykova investigates the nudification scandal, what the law has to say about sexually explicit deepfakes, and whether stronger regulation is needed
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law – coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts
