Doctors deterred as witnesses
Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, President of the Family Division of the High Court, has said that key decisions on the future of children in family cases are being delayed because adverse publicity is deterring doctors from becoming witnesses. Because of media criticism, doctors were not as willing to go through the court process.
A second senior family judge, Lord Justice Thorpe, told The Times: “Doctors don’t like the process of being cross-examined and being pilloried in the press for going to court.”
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Rail safety move
A film examing how friends of a teenage boy dealt with his death will be the highlight of National Railway Crime Week. Tyler Deacon, 15, died on a railway line near his home last year. The rail industry’s message to launch the initiative is “Keep off the track and stay alive”.
Asthma warning
Global warming could lead to more asthma. A study of 670,000 children by the University of Ulm in Germany found a clear link between indoor humidity and asthma rates. Warmer temperatures caused by climate change are expected to drive up humidity levels.