Latest press releases

Lengthy disputes about the age of unaccompanied children are causing significant harm and high costs

17 May 2013: A new CCLC report finds the inadequate system for assessing the age of children who arrive alone in the UK is having a damaging impact on children and is costing local authorities up to hundreds of thousands of pounds. Read more...

Another Home Office policy concerning children found to be unlawful

8 May 2013: Coram Children’s Legal Centre welcomes a new High Court judgment upholding the rights of children affected by immigration decisions. Read more...

Coram Children’s Legal Centre welcomes new guide on entitlements for adoptive families released today

3 May 2013: Adopters can find out what services and support they and their adopted children are entitled to in a new adoption ‘passport’ released by the Government today. Read more...

All children entitled to their rights in police custody

25 April 2013: Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC) intervened in a High Court judicial review, R (on the Application of HC) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department and The Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis. Read more...

First4Adoption's new online service to support 1-in-7 who would adopt

5 April 2013: Adoption information service First4Adoption has launched a comprehensive online service www.first4adoption.org.uk to support people who are interested in adopting. Read more...

Response to government proposals to limit migrant children’s access to education

28 March 2013: Coram Children’s Legal Centre is deeply concerned that the Government has considered preventing migrant children from accessing education and is looking to require schools to check the immigration status of their pupils. Read more...

Statement on International Migrants Day

18 December 2012: On International Migrants Day, Coram Children's Legal Centre calls on the UK government to ensure that children’s rights are central to the UK’s response to migration. Read more...

Child Protection Project to expand its services

18 December 2012: In the face of growing demand for legal advice on child protection issues, Coram Children’s Legal Centre is developing its Child Protection Project advice services and keeping them free for users while looking for new sources of funding. Read more...

New Head of Legal Practice and Practice Manager at CCLC

17 December 2012: Noel Arnold is joining Coram Children’s Legal Centre as Head of Legal Practice and former Head of Education Practice, Ed Duff, will be taking over as Practice Manager in Colchester. Read more...

Tribute to Justice Arthur Chaskalson

4 December 2012: Syd Bolton, solicitor with Coram Children's Legal Centre, pays tribute to Justice Arthur Chaskalson, former Chief Justice of South Africa, who died on 1 December. Read more...

2013 Legal aid telephone advice contract awarded to CCLC

28 November 2012: Coram Children's Legal Centre has successfully tendered for the specialist telephone and face-to-face legal advice contract awarded by the Legal Services Commission. Find out more...

Response to withdrawal of government officials from JCHR oral evidence session on migrant children into UK

27 November 2012: CCLC is disappointed by government officials' withdrawal from the Joint Committee on Human Rights oral evidence session on 27 November, which was being held as part of the Committee’s inquiry into the human rights of unaccompanied migrant children and young people in the UK. Read more...

Barrister wins award for defending the rights of migrant children

12 November 2012: Congratulations to Manjit Singh Gill QC for his special commendation at the 2012 Bar Pro Bono Awards for defending the rights of migrant children. Syd Bolton, solicitor with CCLC's Migrant Children's Project, had nominated him for the award. Read more...

CCLC welcomes European Court of Human Rights' judgment that teenage rape victim should have been given unhindered access to abortion

6 November 2012: Coram Children's Legal Centre intervened as an expert on children's rights in a case concerning the Polish government's treatment of a teenage girl made pregnant through rape, which was concluded on 30 October 2012 in the European Court of Human Rights, finding in favour of the teenager and ordering Poland to pay damages. Read more...

CCLC features on BBC Inside Out's programme on migrant children

5 November 2012: CCLC is extremely concerned that children without regular immigration status, many of whom were born in the UK, often have strong claims to legalise their status but cannot get the legal advice they need. BBC’s Inside Out London programme tonight (5 November) examines the plight of ‘stateless children’ and discovers how they are open to exploitation and abuse. Read more...

CCLC Response to HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on announced inspection of Cedars Pre-Departure Accommodation

23 October 2012: Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC) is extremely concerned by several of the findings in the HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on Cedars and reiterates its call for an end to the immigration detention of children. Read more...

Response to the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group report on human trafficking

18 October 2012: Coram Children’s Legal Centre wants concerted efforts made to ensure that victims of trafficking are not criminalised for crimes they are forced to commit and for immigration offences. Read the full press release...

Recession-busting free legal advice hits record levels as CCLC celebrates first anniversary

25 September 2012: This month Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC) celebrates its first anniversary as part of the Coram group with the number of people using its telephone helplines, online services and legal representation hitting a record 120,000, up 33% on the previous year. Read the full press release...

Gap year student Catherine Yarrow completes epic walk through Britain for CCLC

20 September 2012: Three months after setting out from Land's End in Cornwall, gap-year student Catherine Yarrow has completed her 1,200 mile walk to John O'Groats, raising money for Coram Children's Legal Centre, where her sister Liz works as a researcher. Read the full press release...

Legal advice helplines on standby to answer GCSE and A level student queries as results day looms

14 August 2012: Students needing legal advice about continuing their education in the aftermath of their GCSE or A level results can call Coram Children’s Legal Centre’s (CCLC) education advice lines to establish their rights and legal options. Read the full press release...

Coram Children's Legal Centre welcomes Supreme Court clarification on the importance of children's rights in parental extradition cases

20 June 2012:  CCLC intervened to make submissions on the weight and importance to be given to the interests of children whose parents or carers face extradition. Read the full press release online.

Funding cuts place separated refugee and migrant children at risk

16 May 2012 - The Migrant Children's Project publishes a new report on advice provision for separated migrant, asylum-seeking and refugee children, Navigating the System: Advice provision for young refugees and migrants.

School girl’s winning design promotes free legal support for children

18 April 2012 - Tilly, aged 15, created the winning screen saver design to promote Coram Children’s Legal Centre’s online Child Law Advice Service, which gives free advice on all areas of family, child and education law. To download the screen saver, the wallpaper and instructions for applying these to devices please visit http://bit.ly/CCLCfreelegaladvice.

Cherie Booth QC launches free online children’s legal advice service as helpline calls hit record levels

15 March 2012 - Cherie Booth QC, Patron of Coram Children’s Legal Centre, launched an innovative online service on Tuesday 13 March at the Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury, at a vital time for families who might not otherwise have access to legal advice. 

Child Support Agency Reform Changes

31 January 2012 - Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC) specialises in law and policy affecting children and young people. Working closely with those affected by the news of the current government welfare reform plans, CCLC would like to state that this reform is detrimental to the welfare system.