Thousands of professionals dealing with cases of suspected child abuse rely on the principle, enshrined in the Children Act 1989, that the welfare of the child should be paramount at all times.
So many could have been worried by the potential conflict created by recent legal action taken by parents wrongly accused of abuse, who attempted to establish that health and local authorities were also liable for their welfare in such cases.
However, last week the House of Lords ruled in favour of the health authorities in East Berkshire, Dewsbury and Oldham, and Kirklees Metropolitan Council (Children Now, 27 April-3 May).
They argued that if social workers and doctors owed a duty of care to parents, this could compromise their duty to the child and increase the risk of abuse.
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