Need for Natural Mother

Re T-R & W (Children) (CLW 17 November CA)

The mother was undergoing treatment for alcohol abuse but because her nine-month-old son was becoming too attached to his foster parents the judge ordered that he be placed immediately with his paternal relatives in Tanzania. In allowing the mother’s appeal it was held that the judge was wrong in relying too heavily upon the opinion of an expert that an order was needed quickly and wrong in not appreciating that the overriding consideration was the need of a very young child to be brought up by his natural mother. The order was varied to allow the mother time to complete her course of treatment before the removal of her son from the jurisdiction was considered.