Citation

Dyer C. BMJ 2022; 377: o1501.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bmj.o1501

PMID

35714979

Abstract

The head of the family courts in England and Wales has lambasted the system in which pathologists can take a year to produce reports on suspected child homicides as "wholly unacceptable" and "wholly unfit for purpose."

Andrew McFarlane, president of the High Court's family division, said that the situation was endangering the welfare of victims' siblings, who can languish in care for two years before decisions are made on their future. He said that he was delivering the "unusual" judgment, which did not record "any judicial decision whatsoever" because it was "no longer …

Language: en