Simon Burrows and Fay Collinson use the great safety net

Simon Burrows and Fay Collinson were both instructed by Redcar and Cleveland Council in an application to the High Court to invoke the inherent jurisdiction to protect a vulnerable young woman who was at risk of killing herself due to her family circumstances.

The Council obtained a series of orders from the High Court preventing the woman from returning home, or her family persuading her to do so upon her discharge from a psychiatric hospital, where she had been an informal (voluntary) patient. In a detailed judgment, Mr Justice Cobb reviewed the law and supported the use of such measures in emergency cases, provided they were kept under constant review and the council used their powers proportionately.

The main judgment Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council v PR & others [2019] EWHC 2305 (Fam) can be viewed here.

The Judge’s decision on costs [2019] EWHC 2800 (Fam.) can be viewed here.admin@scl.org.uk