Reported Case: Bibi Badejo successfully represented the First Respondent Mother in Re Amy (A Child) (Welfare Hearing) [2026] EWFC 14
9th February 2026
Bibi Badejo, instructed by Oliver Conway of Oliver Fisher Solicitors, successfully represented the First Respondent Mother in Re Amy (A Child) (Welfare Hearing) [2026] EWFC 14 before His Honour Judge Willans (sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court).
In a departure from the recommendations of both the local authority and Children’s Guardian’s, who sought a Special Guardianship Order in favour of the maternal great-grandmother, the court made a 12-month Supervision Order, allowing 11-month-old Amy to remain in her mother’s care.
The case involved complex background issues, including the unexplained death of the mother’s first child in 2018, historic cannabis use, and allegations of emotional dysregulation and difficulties engaging with professionals. The court had previously refused a fact-finding hearing, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal in G (A Child: Scope of Fact-Finding) [2025] EWCA Civ 1044, where the mother was represented by Chris Barnes, led at first instance by Alison Grief KC and on appeal by William Tyler KC (36 Family).
HHJ Willans made limited threshold findings, concluding that much of the professional evidence lacked balance and was affected by “confirmation bias” arising from concerns about the historical concerns. Despite almost a year of intensive scrutiny, the court found the mother had consistently provided very good care to Amy, and that her difficulties in engaging with professionals arose within a highly charged litigation context unlikely to be replicated in ordinary support relationships.
The Court distinguished between parenting capacity and a parent’s ability to engage with adversarial assessment processes, and serves as a reminder that historic concerns must not be allowed to “hijack the case” at the expense of a fair and balanced welfare analysis.
Read the judgment here.
