July 19, 2023
Professor Sue Edwards (Professor in Law, Emerita, University of Buckingham and Door Tenant Red Lion Chambers) has written an article for the June edition of “Family Law” where she explores radicalisation and extremism and the challenges of state intervention. She comments:
“Whilst ‘evidence’ of ‘radicalisation’ and ‘extremism’ has acted as a trigger for state intervention in child protection, criminal investigation, and citizen deprivation there is no consensus with regard to what either term means or what behaviours fall within its nebulous linguistic ambit.”
The article examines:
-difficulties for local authority social workers in recognising what evidence is required to initiate care proceedings in cases where radicalisation and extremism are suspected
-the challenges for the courts in determining finding of fact hearings
-recent cases including families with small children returning from once ISIS controlled territory
-the continuing uncertainty about the appropriateness of intervention
-the consideration of the treatment of Shamima Begum as a minor and the victim of trafficking and radicalisation
Read piece here: [Family Law]