header-logo header-logo

The hand that rocks the cradle

01 January 2009 / John Cooper KC
Issue: 7350+7351 / Categories: Features , Public , Child law , Family , Human rights
printer mail-detail

John Cooper on child protection post Baby P

The details of the physical and mental abuse inflicted upon Baby P, who died in Haringey, North London, after suffering months of mistreatment at his family home are a stark reminder of the vulnerability of children at the hands of those who would cause them harm.

Tragedy
It will be for others to decide precisely who is culpable of behaviour which brought about his death and whether any aspect of government or social services are responsible for this tragedy. No doubt, there will be much comment and consideration of criminal and general human rights issues, but in circumstances relating to the mistreatment of children, there are particular standards which the state should implement. Sadly, they receive neither the attention nor the implementation that they deserve.

Rights of the child
I refer to the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child (the UN Convention). Within this document, Articles lay down specifi c requirements of contracting states to provide

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

DWF—19 appointments

DWF—19 appointments

Belfast team bolstered by three senior hires and 16 further appointments

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Firm strengthens leveraged finance team with London partner hire

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Double hire marks launch of family team in Leeds

NEWS
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve reports on Haynes v Thomson, the first judicial application of the Supreme Court’s For Women Scotland ruling in a discrimination claim, in this week's NLJ
Charlie Mercer and Astrid Gillam of Stewarts crunch the numbers on civil fraud claims in the English courts, in this week's NLJ. New data shows civil fraud claims rising steadily since 2014, with the King’s Bench Division overtaking the Commercial Court as the forum of choice for lower-value disputes
The Supreme Court issued a landmark judgment in July that overturned the convictions of Tom Hayes and Carlo Palombo, once poster boys of the Libor and Euribor scandal. In NLJ this week, Neil Swift of Peters & Peters considers what the ruling means for financial law enforcement
Small law firms want to embrace technology but feel lost in a maze of jargon, costs and compliance fears, writes Aisling O’Connell of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in this week's NLJ
Artificial intelligence may be revolutionising the law, but its misuse could wreck cases and careers, warns Clare Arthurs of Penningtons Manches Cooper in this week's NLJ
back-to-top-scroll