Amjad Kadhim represents the Local Authority in Cheshire East Borough Council v Mother & Ors [2025] EWFC 470 (B) (29 July 2025)

Consultant Barrister, Amjad Kadhim was recently named in a published Family Court judgment, Cheshire East Borough Council v Mother & Ors [2025] EWFC 470 (B) (29 July 2025), in which he represented Cheshire East Borough Council.

The case concerned an application for a care order and a placement order, and focused on two important procedural issues that frequently arise in public law children proceedings. The first was whether the proceedings should be adjourned in light of developments said to have occurred since the Agency Decision Maker (ADM) had approved the plan for adoption. The second was whether those developments gave rise to a legal obligation on the local authority to return the case to the ADM for reconsideration under the Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005.

On behalf of the local authority, Amjad argued that the threshold for adjournment was not met and that there was no requirement, in law, for the case to be referred back to the ADM simply because further developments had arisen. The Court accepted that position, declining to adjourn the proceedings and finding that the local authority was not in breach of the relevant regulations.

The judgment provides helpful clarification on the circumstances in which a return to the ADM is required and reinforces the importance of proportionality and procedural discipline in care and placement proceedings.

The full judgment is available on BAILII: https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWFC/OJ/2025/470.html