Gina's story is a heartbreaking one.

Whoever killed Shafilea Ahmed, it seems that her death had some connection with her fear that her parents were arranging for her to be married. This issue is a serious challenge for the cultural tolerance in this country, not least because it is so difficult to distinguish between forced and arranged marriages, and can have the most awful ( Read more... )

A cross-bench peer has highlighted the case of twins who were separated at birth and adopted by different families. They then got married in ignorance of their true relationship. This case raises all sorts of questions about open adoption, knowledge of biological origins, social versus biological parenthood and the real justification for the ( Read more... )

Family Lawyers have apparently nicknamed the first Monday after the Christmas break "D-Day", because they are snowed under with calls from people wanting a divorce. How unfortunate!

The media have picked up the case of a man who has been forced to pay child support under the Child Support Acts after donating his sperm (outside of a clinic) to a lesbian couple who were friends of his.

His case illustrates the strong connection between purely biological parenthood and child support, and the fact that no matter how many ( Read more... )

• The Ministry of Justice have announced that the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act will come into force in Autumn 2008.


• Resolution have called the new Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission (fashionably styled "C-MEC") an "accident waiting to happen".


• Family Law Week have started a new Family Law Blog.

In C (A Child) v. XYZ County Council ([2007] EWCA Civ 1206), the Court of Appeal considered the case of a child born to a young mother following a one-night stand. The mother hadn't told the father or her own parents about the birth, and she wanted to put the child up for adoption without informing the father. (Her own parents had found out ( Read more... )

This afternoon, the House of Lords will debate a Bill that, inter alia, removes the need for IVF providers to consider the child's need for a father when deciding on an IVF application, and allows the lesbian partner of a woman receiving treatment to be considered the other parent.

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor has written to The Times arguing that the ( Read more... )

I agree with most of what David Cameron says about rape. It is an appalling crime, and many people adopt an attitude to it that is far too relaxed. The conviction rates are also in serious need of examination. But I just want to make two quick points ( Read more... )

Ministers have ruled out a total ban on smacking after research indicated that 70% of parents didn't want such a ban ( Read more... )