​Macpherson v Sunderland City Council [2025] EWCA Civ 1159

Appeal against a finding of contempt of court and resultant sentence of imprisonment imposed following a breach of that contempt. 

The appeal has been brought by Lioubov Macpherson, who, as the Court of Appeal states, has for a number of years "been in sharp disagreement with many of the professionals who have treated and sought to assist her daughter." The sentence was imposed by Mr Justice Poole in [2023] EWCOP 3 and further background to the case can be found there. 

In this appeal, Ms Macpherson argued a wide range of grounds including breaches of human rights, judicial bias and unlawful deprivation of FP's liberty. However, at [33] Baker LJ states 

"In my judgment, none of these points undermines the central point on this appeal – that Mrs Macpherson knowingly and deliberately broke an order made by the court. The fact that she profoundly disagrees with the order does not entitle her to disregard it. There is nothing to support her repeated assertions of professional misconduct. Her very strong views have been aired on many occasions in the proceedings, but for the most part have been rejected by judges on the evidence. There is no merit in her assertion that the orders were unlawful. The straightforward position is that she was obliged to comply with the orders and deliberately chose not to do so."

The appeal was therefore dismissed.

Read the judgment on Bailii