Sarah Jane Boon and Jemimah Fleet write for Today’s Family Lawyer on the repeal of the presumption of parental involvement
At the end of October, the Government announced that they would repeal the presumption of parental involvement – currently enshrined in the Children Act 1989 – some five years after the Harm Panel report recommended an ‘urgent review’. The government has not committed to a timeframe however, simply saying that this will happen ‘when parliamentary time allows’.
Families therefore find themselves in a somewhat limbo – between the Government’s position which can be interpreted as that they feel the presumption may be unsafe and therefore should be repealed, and the fact that the presumption will remain law (and thus be applied by the courts), as and until it is formally repealed by Parliament.
In an article for Today's Family Lawyer, Sarah Jane Boon, Family Partner, and Jemimah Fleet, Knowledge Development Lawyer, consider:
- The background
- The current law
- Evolution and criticism
Read the full piece in Today's Family Lawyer here.
