English/Polish Seminar

Date: 19/05/2016
Location: London
Venue: Embassy of the Republic of Poland
Time: 14.00 - 18.30

Exchange of information, legal and practical systems and placement of Polish children coming to the attention of local authority social care and the courts in England and Wales.

PROGRAMME:

14.00 – 14.15: Welcoming address by His Excellency Witold Sobków, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Court of St James United Kingdom                                         

Opening Address and Conference Overview: by The Hon. Mr. Justice Cobb, Conference Chair

Outline of the development of the Office of the Head of International Family Justice, the International Hague Network of Judges and the European Judicial Network: by Sir Mathew Thorpe, former Lord Justice of Appeal (England and Wales), former Vice President of the Family Division of the High Court and inaugural Head of International Family Justice for England and Wales

14.30 – 15.05: Outline of the Legal and Court System in relating to Children in Poland: by Judge Agnieszka Wisniewska- Kaluta,  Polish Hague Network Judge, Judge of the Regional Court of Piaseczno (Family Division), Piaseczno

15.05 – 15.30: Outline of the Role of the Court Guardian in Polish Family Courts: by Lukasz Kwadrans, Specialist Court Guardian at the Regional Court of Swidnica, Swidnica  

15.30 – 16.00: Tea – Coffee

16.00 – 16.15: Transfer of Proceedings, the Problem or the Child? (BIIR: the approach of the courts of England and Wales in children’s cases): by Susan Jacklin QC, Barrister at One Garden Court Family Law Chambers

16.15 – 17.00: Perspective and Advice of the Polish Central Authority Judge on;

a) Obtaining information from the Polish courts and social care departments, and on the Polish legal and social care systems

b) Placement of Children in Poland

c) Registration and recognition of English Orders in Poland:

by Judge Leszek Kuziak of the Polish Ministry of Justice - Department of International Cooperation and Human Rights and Senior Judge at the Central Authority for the Republic of Poland

17.00 – 17.15:  Practical and logistical problems confronted by the Family Courts in England and Wales when seeking information and co-operation from judges, courts and social care departments in Poland: by Her Honour Judge Rowe QC, Designated Judge for the West London Family Court

17.15 – 17.30: The Consular Role and Responsibilities (How we can and can’t help, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 24 April 1963 and the duties of courts and local authority social care departments): by Mr Jaroslaw Lasinski, Deputy Head of Consular Department, MFA in Warsaw and Michal Mazurek, Head of the Consular Section, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London

17.30 – 17.45: Presentation by the Family Support Centre - Polish non-governmental organisation based in London

17.45 – 18.15: Questions and Answers: Panel of Conference Speakers, chaired by The Hon. Mr. Justice Cobb.

18.15 – 21.00: Reception hosted by His Excellency, Witold Sobków, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Court of St. James United Kingdom.


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