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LAC (2004)5: Review of children's cases
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Document type:Local Authority Circular
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Author:Department for Education And Skills
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Published date:25 February 2004
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Primary audience:Professionals
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Gateway reference:2004
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Series number:LAC (2004)5
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Pages:6
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Copyright holder:Crown
This guidance is issued to councils with social services responsibilities under section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970, which requires councils to act under the guidance of the Secretary of State. It contains guidance to councils about the actions needed in the light of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the criminal case of R v Angela Cannings ('the judgment').
The Attorney General has announced his intention to consider 258 past convictions for the murder, manslaughter or infanticide of children under 2 by their parents, in order to ascertain whether the court decision may have been unsafe. The intention is that such cases might then be looked at further by the Criminal Cases Review Commission or be the subject of an appeal. Local authorities are asked, through this Circular, to take action in relation to the following cases: those which are covered by the Attorney General's review; those where care proceedings have been commenced and the court has not yet made a final care order; those where final care orders are in place and the finding of significant harm turned on disputed medical evidence; those where the council has decided that adoption is in the best interests of a child in respect of whom a care order was made that falls within the scope of this review.
Although many of the Department of Health's Children and Families functions have transferred to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), these circulars will continue to be issued in the Local Authority Circular (LAC) series for the foreseeable future.
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Contact:Department for Education and Skills
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Address:Vulnerable Children Division
Caxton House, 6-12 Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA
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Phone:Vulnerable Children Division
020 7273 1288
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Email:
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