(Court of Appeal; Richards, Aikens and Munby LJJ; 14 December 2010)
In a lengthy fact finding hearing preliminary to a final hearing in wardship proceedings, the judge made pejorative findings of fact in relation to both the parents. The father appealed. At issue was whether he could appeal without an order having been made.
Held that the Court of Appeal had jurisdiction to hear an appeal from a fact finding hearing even if there was no substantive order. A judge on a fact finding hearing is entitled to explain his reasoning, including expressing suspicion where no finding of fact is made.
__________________________________________________________________
Family Law Reports are relied upon by the judiciary, barristers and solicitors and the reports are cited daily in court and in judgments.
They contain verbatim case reports of every important Family Division, Court of Appeal, House of Lords and European courts case, and also includes practice directions, covering the whole range of family law, public and private child law.