Posts
Cafcass new domestic abuse policy – an explainer
Last week, Cafcass in England announced and published a new policy about how they will make recommendations to court where domestic abuse is an issue. This is a brief rundown of what we think it will mean for parents and children facing family court proceedings. The...
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 BBC reported that...
International contact after a defended abduction
This is the first full final hearing in a High Court case that we have attended and reported on as legal bloggers. It raises interesting issues about international abduction; the aftermath regarding international contact; and the differing perceptions of two...
The presumption and ‘contact culture’
A legal presumption was introduced into the Children Act 1989 in 2014 that, in a contact dispute between separated parents, the continued involvement of both parents in their child's life is in the child's best interests. This has become increasingly controversial and...
Contempt of Court : The Law Commission’s Consultation – A Response
This is Sir James Munby's response to the Law Commission's current open consultation. The consultation is open until 8 November. Sir James is the previous President of the Family Division. The Transparency Project will be submitting its own response (covering issues...
‘Have you thought about giving notice?’
It has taken five months for us to be able to tell this story. Ordinary cases matter. Open Justice shouldn’t be this hard.
Keep out! When justice cannot be seen to be done, how do we know it’s been done?
This is Paul’s account of how he tried and failed to observe a simple family court hearing in the magistrates court. Open Justice shouldn’t be this hard.
When is an intermediary necessary? – a case study
In March, we wrote about a case, West Northamptonshire Council (acting via Northamptonshire Children’s Trust) v KA (Mother & Anor) (Intermediaries) [2024] EWHC 79 (Fam) in which Mrs Justice Lieven had included some general guidance on when an intermediary should...
First ever ‘Family Court Reporting Week’ is launched by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
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 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 kicked off the...