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NLJ this week: Five decades of ambitions for one-parent families

04 July 2024
Issue: 8078 / Categories: Legal News , Procedure & practice , Family , Mediation , Child law
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It’s 50 years since the 1974 Finer Report of the Committee on One-Parent Families, so what has been achieved?

In this week’s NLJ, solicitor-advocate David Burrows considers a half-century of reforms.

One big change has been the role of mediation. But in many aspects, life has not improved enough. Burrows looks at the areas of finance, housing, employment and day care, family law and a unified family court. He writes: ‘In the 50 years since the report, things for single parents and their children have mostly gone backwards.’

So, what has been done and what is still to do? Burrows covers developments and setbacks.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Tech companies will be legally required to prevent material that encourages or assists serious self-harm appearing on their platforms, under Online Safety Act 2023 regulations due to come into force in the autumn
Commercial leasehold, the defence of insanity and ‘consent’ in the criminal law are among the next tranche of projects for the Law Commission
The Bar has a culture of ‘impunity’ and ‘collusive bystanding’ in which making a complaint is deemed career-ending due to a ‘cohort of untouchables’ at the top, Baroness Harriet Harman KC has found
Lawyers have broadly welcomed plans to electronically tag up to 22,000 more offenders, scrap most prison terms below a year and make prisoners ‘earn’ early release
David Lammy, Ellie Reeves and Baroness Levitt have taken up office at the Ministry of Justice, following the cabinet reshuffle
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