1. Understand the basic normative legal and theoretical framework of International, European and domestic law relating to children and the law.
2. Understand the nature and scope of children’s rights.
3. Identify the common law rules and presumptions that determine legal parenthood.
4. Understand how legal parenthood is awarded following the use of different forms of assisted conception.
5. Examine the challenges in the legal regulation of the medical treatment of children.
6. Explain how courts decide disputes about an aspect of a child’s upbringing using the paramountcy test in s.1(1) of the Children Act 1989 and other guidelines within s.1 particularly the s.1(3) welfare checklist and the s.1(2A) parental involvement presumption.
7. Understand the practical use of the different orders under s.8 of the Children Act 1989 and apply relevant law.
8. Understand national and international relocation and the use of s8 orders.
9. Examine national and international child abduction.
10 Examine the difficulties facing the court and safeguarding agencies in the public law protection of children.
11. Identify the rules which enable intervention into family life and the range of orders available to the court.
12. Explain and analyse the legal process of adoption of children, and special guardianship, in England and Wales.
13. Outline and examine child financial support from the perspective of children.
