Posts
Felix and Bella – two judgments following an injury to a baby
In this blog, I discuss Re Felix (fact finding and welfare) [2024] EWFC 302(B), a judgment of Her Honour Judge Vincent given in the Family Court sitting at Oxford on 8 February 2024. Felix is not the real name of the child at the centre of the case. The...
ASSISTED DYING : WHAT ROLE FOR THE JUDGE? Some further thoughts
This is a guest post from Sir James Munby, the former President of the Family Division of the High Court of England and Wales. It follows on from his previous piece on this topic here. In Assisted Dying : What Role for the Judge? published by the Transparency Project...
Committee nerds: assemble! (Family Procedure Rule Committee – more interesting than you might imagine)
Last week we attended the open meeting of the Family Procedure Rule Committee. It only happens once a year, and you'll be pleased to hear that we sat through the three hour long meeting so you didn't have to. From our perspective, the most important news is...
Another couple of small steps for Transparency
The (children) Reporting Pilot has been gradually expanding in its reach since January 2023. From 4 November it has not only covered 19 family courts across England and Wales (including those with the highest volume of cases), but reporters have been able finally to...
‘Family judge keeps press in the dark about “indefensible” case’
This summer, two judgments were published from Newport Family Court that related to an application by a local authority (un-named) to withdraw care proceedings it had issued back in April 2023. The child subject to the application had been removed from his...
Family Court Reporting Watch Roundup
Welcome to the Roundup, where we correct, clarify and comment on media reports of family law, explain and comment on published family court judgments, and highlight other transparency news. MEDIA COVERAGE OF FAMILY LAW, TRANSPARENCY etc The Guardian had an...
ASSISTED DYING : WHAT ROLE FOR THE JUDGE?
This is a guest post by Sir James Munby, former President of the Family Division. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill had its first, purely formal, reading in the House of Commons on 16 October 2024, when it was presented by Kim Leadbeater MP. The important...
‘Why would you give me the power to make decisions about your children?’
This question was asked by HHJ Scannell at a private law hearing in Cardiff Family Court I attended last week. The judge explained to the two parents in dispute that she hoped they would take a problem-solving approach, in accordance with the Pathfinder principles....
Contempt of court by publication of information relating to family (children) proceedings – a simple question without a simple answer
We were asked a ‘simple’ question a while back about the law that protects the privacy around court cases about children. How long does the law preventing people talking about those cases carry on for? Can you say what you like as soon as the case is over? Or does...
THE PRESSING NEED FOR REFORM OF SECTION 12
This is a guest post by Sir James Munby, former President of the Family Division. For a summary of the issues raised in this piece please read this post: Contempt of Court by Publication of Information Relating to Family (Children) Proceedings - A Simple Question...