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Law digests: 13 October 2023

13 October 2023
Issue: 8044 / Categories: Case law , In Court , Law digest
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Abduction

Re D (a Child) (Abduction: Child’s Objections: Representation of Child Party) [2023] EWCA Civ 1047, [2023] All ER (D) 05 (Oct)

The Court of Appeal, Civil Division, ruled on various issues in relation to a child’s (D) appeal against the judge who found that D objected to being returned to Singapore but exercised his discretion by making a return order. D had acted through his solicitor during these proceedings, in which the solicitor was also appointed by the court as his guardian in the proceedings. The issues were whether: (i) the judge erred in his approach to the role of a solicitor who is also acting as guardian in proceedings under the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on Civil International Aspects of Child Abduction (the 1980 Hague Convention) and, as a result, wrongly attached no weight to the opinions of the solicitor; (ii) the judge erred in attaching little weight to the views of a Gillick-competent child on the basis that he had been exposed to the father’s undue influence;

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
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