Public children law: contemporary issues

Public children law is at the sharp end of our legal system, where some of the most difficult social and legal issues are considered.

As the vehicle through which the State seeks to safeguard the most vulnerable of children, it interferes profoundly with the lives of individuals and families across England and Wales.

Yet it must protect the rights of all individuals involved in the process.

Its scope must contemplate the most needy - from those with physical, mental and learning disabilities to those suffering from addiction - and therefore its apparatus is complex and often misunderstood.

This is a guide to important, current and commonly misunderstood issues in public children law focusing on areas that have posed particular difficulties for practitioners in recent years.