Procedure & Practice When Dealing with Child Cruelty in the Criminal & Family Courts

Introduction

When family and criminal proceedings collide, the legal and ethical stakes rise dramatically.

This growing intersection was brought into sharp focus in the recent High Court decision London Borough of Hammersmith and Merton v G, H, A, B and C [2024]. The case explored the complex relationship between overlapping jurisdictions. For practitioners, navigating simultaneous or potential criminal investigations alongside family proceedings requires a nuanced understanding of how allegations may be used across both forums.

The Disclosure of Information between Family and Criminal Agencies and Jurisdictions 2024 Protocol came into effect in March 2024, and is due to be reviewed in 2025 making this the ideal time to get up to speed. This new Protocol relates to all private and public family law proceedings, including contemplated public law proceedings, and all material held by the police.

This virtual classroom seminar draws together the law and practice relevant to the conduct of child cruelty cases in the criminal and family courts. From the offences engaged to disclosure, evidence gathering and practice rules, the interactive session will compare the approach of the courts and provide a practical guide to navigating this challenging area of law.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive course will cover the following:

• Criminal offences engaged
• Family offences engaged
• Use of the ABE in and pre-recorded evidence in criminal proceedings
• Assisting vulnerable witnesses in the family courts
• Arrangements to interview children in family proceedings where there is no ABE
• Disclosure/3rd parties in criminal proceedings
• Timing, delay, and which proceedings take precedence
• Making use of joint hearings
• Preventative orders in crime
• Preventative orders in family

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.