England and Wales Court of Appeal (Civil Division) Decisions

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE
COURT OF APPEAL (CIVIL DIVISION)
ON APPEAL FROM THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
FAMILY DIVISION
(Mr Justice Stuart White)

		Royal Courts of Justice Strand London WC2 Wednesday, 17th January 2001

1. LORD JUSTICE THORPE: This is an application brought by Mr. D, who lives in Kempston in Bedfordshire, for permission to appeal an order made by Stuart White J on 18th April 1996. The order dismissed an application for a residence order which, if granted, would have had the consequence of discharging a care order, then current. Not only is this application nearly five years stale, but, more importantly, the child in question, 13 years of age at the date of judgment by Stuart White J, is now obviously on the threshold of her majority. Indeed, Mr. D has told me this morning that she will attain her majority next Sunday. It follows as a matter of inevitable logic that this application is doomed to failure, since this court will lose any jurisdiction in relation to Mr. D's daughter before there could be any further judicial process. Mr. D has accepted this reality very sensibly and with both grace and humour. However, there is nothing I can do other than to dismiss the application and to thank him for presenting it in such a sensible way.
Order: Application dismissed.