RA (Baby Relinquished for Adoption), Re

John Hayes QC (instructed by Ridley & Hall) for the Prospective Adopters Kate Branigan QC and Chris Barnes (instructed by Ison Harrison) for the Maternal Grandmother The birth parents were neither present nor represented for the hearing 30 August � 1 September; the birth mother appeared in person on 4 and 10 October Frank Feehan QC and Brett Davies (instructed by Local Authority solicitor) for the Local Authority Alex Verdan QC (instructed by Switalskis) for the Children's Guardian Hearing dates: 30 August � 1 September, 4 & 10 October 2016 ____________________

i) An application for an adoption order issued by his current carers, Mr. and Mrs. D; this application was issued on 27 January 2016;

ii) An application issued by RA's maternal grandmother (hereafter 'MGM') on 4 August 2016 for leave to make an application for a Child Arrangements Order, and if granted, for a Child Arrangements Order; and further for leave to remove RA from the jurisdiction to reside with her, her husband, and an aunt (all in the same household) at their home in Latvia.

iii) Following the hearing of the applications listed above, and following the circulation of the draft judgment, but before the judgment was formally handed down, an application was issued by RA's birth parents for leave to oppose the adoption application; this application was issued on 29 September 2016.

i) In the period following my case management judgment, the Latvian authorities supplied detailed assessments of MGM and her home circumstances; among the assessments is a report from a psychologist; there have been no specific assessments of the maternal step-grandfather and/or teenage aunt but they are referred to in passing within the documents supplied;