Recorder Cooper says delay in care case for teenage girl was “deplorable” and deeply regrettable
A family court judge has issued a heartfelt apology after taking a staggering 16 months to conclude a care case involving a 14-year-old girl—more than double the legal timeframe set by statute.
Recorder Cooper, who oversaw the case titled Care Proceedings (wishes and feelings of a child aged 14), acknowledged the distress caused to the child and all involved. “I can only apologise on behalf of the courts,” the judge said, singling out the girl for the “no doubt extra stress” she endured.
The official target for resolving public law care proceedings is 26 weeks, but this case stretched to 16 months. The court blamed the lengthy delay on a series of problems, including a change in the child’s legal guardian, which caused early disruption. However, it was the six-month delay in finding a final court date after listing the matter in December 2024 that the judge found most unacceptable.
“That listing delay is, in my judgment, to be deplored,” Cooper said in a damning critique. “It is a sad indictment of the difficulties listing even the most serious and sensitive cases involving children and young people who are clearly well aware of the decisions being taken about them.”
The case had high emotional stakes. Since January 2024, the teenage girl had been living with foster carers under an interim care order. Her father, the guardian, and the local authority supported her staying in foster care. But her mother—and the girl herself—wanted her to return home.
Embed from Getty ImagesCooper recognised the child’s wish to live with her mother, but ultimately ruled in favour of continued foster care under a formal care order. The court found that while the mother was clearly loving and committed, serious concerns remained about her mental health and the impact on her daughter’s welfare.
“I do realise that this order is not the one that you said you wanted me to make,” Cooper wrote in a personal letter to the girl, which was included in the judgment. “But I am confident that it is the right order for you in the long run.”
The judge also ordered improved and more frequent direct contact between mother and daughter, with a review of those arrangements due in two months.
The delay in the case flies in the face of a broader trend of improving court times in the family justice system. Ministry of Justice figures show that by the final quarter of 2024, the average time for care or supervision cases to reach a first disposal was 38 weeks—down three weeks from the same period in 2023. Furthermore, 37% of such cases were resolved within the 26-week target, a slight improvement on the previous year.
Still, this case highlights the ongoing strain on the family courts, especially when scheduling hearings in high-stakes matters involving vulnerable children. The girl at the centre of this ruling, like many others, faced prolonged uncertainty during a critical stage in her life.
As Cooper noted, knowing where one will live and having that certainty matters deeply to a young person. “It was clearly unhelpful for [her] not to know,” she added, recognising the emotional toll the delay likely exacted.
The apology, though sincere, comes too late to undo the stress endured. But it stands as a stark reminder: for children in care cases, justice delayed is more than justice denied—it’s stability stolen.
