To encourage more reporting on the life-changing decisions that take place in family courts, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) will run a series of events, mentoring and practical “at-court” support for journalists around the country as part of its first Family Court Reporting Week, running for five days from Monday 4 November to Friday 8 November 2024.
Family courts deal with children and families affected by issues including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect, abduction, female genital mutilation, domestic abuse, deprivation of liberty and disputes around child contact between separating parents.
The expansion in January of a judicially sanctioned Reporting Pilot to nearly half of all family courts provides a prime opportunity for news outlets across England and Wales to scrutinise the state powers exercised out of public view. This reporting holds not only judges, but local authorities, Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service), police and other state agencies to account in their interactions with some of the most vulnerable children in the country.
Louise Tickle, coordinator of TBIJ’s family court reporting week said: “Ten years of attending family hearings has shown me it is vital for journalists to report on the decision-making of social workers, children’s guardians, court appointed experts and judges – because when draconian powers are exercised out of public view, an independent media presence can be the only check and balance available to families whose lives are indelibly altered by their experience of these courts.”
As part of Family Court Reporting Week, the Bureau will offer:
- Mentoring for journalists who would like to report on family court hearings, with materials to help them understand the listings for their local court, and help with accessing and understanding the pilot’s transparency order.
- Practical support on the day from experienced journalists and lawyers who will be on hand, by arrangement, at certain family courts.
- Welcome and familiarisation events hosted by the family law community at certain courts.
TBIJ Bureau Local editor Gareth Davies, who manages the Bureau’s Family Justice project, said: “Going into a private family court hearing can be daunting for any journalist. We want to help reporters feel confident in exercising their reporting rights under the pilot scheme, and the practical support we are offering will hopefully mean more publications decide to run articles showing how the family justice system is operating in practice for the families who depend on it.”
Where?
The family courts participating in the Reporting Pilot are:
- North West: Liverpool, Manchester, Carlisle
- North East: West Yorkshire (Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield), Kingston-upon-Hull (Grimsby, Beverley)
- Midlands: Nottingham (Mansfield), Stoke (Stafford), Derby (Chesterfield), Birmingham
- London: Central Family Court, East London (Croydon, Bromley, Romford), West London (Barnet, Brentford, Willesden, Edmonton, Kingston, Uxbridge, East London Family Court)
- South West: Dorset (Bournemouth, Weymouth), Truro
- South East: Luton (Bedford), Guildford, Milton Keynes
- Wales: Cardiff
How lawyers can get involved
The Bureau is also aiming to provide on-the-day support at court to journalists who commit to attend; its own reporters and other journalists with family court experience will travel to courts around the country to help them negotiate what can be a daunting environment, understand the Transparency Order, and how to operate in court.
Family court specialist reporter Louise Tickle, who is co-ordinating the Reporting Week, would be immensely grateful if any solicitors or barristers with an interest in transparency or who have experience of media in court would be willing to attend a Pilot court on one day to help a local journalist who is attending for the first time. If you might be willing to offer a morning or an afternoon, please contact Louise at louise@louisetickle.co.uk.
Further information
Louise Tickle – louise@louisetickle.co.uk / 07766 236364