Marking the 30th anniversary of the Children’s Act, the government has invested £84 million for projects designed to strengthen and support families with children in and on the edge of care.

Justice Secretary, David Gauke, has confirmed he will bring new divorce law legislation forward “at the earliest opportunity” following on from an overwhelming response to the consultation.

Following the success of four domestic abuse prosecution measures in three pilot areas, the targeted approach will now be adopted in domestic abuse courts across the country starting this month.

Between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, 455 online divorce applications were lodged in England and Wales. According to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), 26 people submitted applications on Christmas Eve, 13 on Christmas Day, 23 people filed on Boxing Day and 77 on New Year’s Day.

The UK Supreme Court has announced that it considers the Widowed Parents’ Allowance to be incompatible with Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, on the basis that it requires claimants to have been married to their spouse and offers no protection to unmarried couples. This has come to light after an unmarried mother from Northern Ireland – Siobhan McLaughlin – was refused bereavement payments following the death of her partner who she had four children with. Ms McLaughlin has now won a ruling from the Supreme Court that such legislation breaches human rights law.