Posts
Family Court Reporting Watch Roundup
Welcome to this month's Roundup, where we correct, clarify and comment on media reports of family court cases, explain and comment on published family court judgments and highlight other transparency news MEDIA COVERAGE OF FAMILY COURT MATTERS Many mainstream news...
Coronacontact- what about the children in care?
In the past few weeks, life as we know it has changed beyond recognition. I was struck by the words of Mr Justice Hayden in BP v Surrey CC and RP [2020] EWCOP 17 : “It strikes me as redundant of any contrary argument that we are facing "a public emergency" which is...
Remote Justice: A legal blogger’s perspective
On 8 April, I went to Stoke-on-Trent for the day. Of course, I didn’t physically go there, but I was able to ‘attend’ the Family Court there, by joining a series of five telephone hearings being handled over the course of a day by a District Judge. I attended using...
Remote Justice : A Judge’s perspective
This guest post is written by an anonymous Circuit Judge working in the Family Court. There is no question that remote hearings are a good means of ensuring the continued delivery of the decision-making element of the family justice system. It is amazing that we...
How are remote family court hearings working for families? Survey
Everyone in the family court is working hard to try and keep the show on the road at a time when we can't hold face to face hearings. There has been a lot of information and feedback from judges and lawyers, but until we published an impactful blog post by Celia...
The Remote Family Court – where does transparency fit in?
The Transparency Project recently assisted the FLBA tech working party to gather some information and feedback in light of the publication of the key judicial guidance on family justice during the pandemic - 'The Remote Family Court'. That document (now on version 2),...
Remote hearings: a gulf between lawyers and lay parties?
In the last two weeks, the family justice system has been plunged into the deep end. Family lawyers, judges and court staff have been grappling with varied forms of technology to transition cases online as quickly as possible during the coronavirus crisis. Inevitably,...
Remote justice: a family perspective
This is a guest post by Celia Kitzinger, co-director of the Coma and Disorders of Consciousness Research Centre and Honorary Professor, Cardiff University School of Law and Politics. She tweets as @KitzingerCelia The judgment in this Court of Protection case was...
Covid-19, the UK’s Coronavirus Bill and emergency ‘remote’ court hearings: what does it mean for open justice?
NB An updated version of this post now appears at Judith's own blog here. There will be an increasing use of ‘remote hearings’ in the courts in England and Wales in coming weeks and months, under existing law, and if extended provisions in the emergency Coronavirus...
Child arrangements and shared care during the corona outbreak
We don't give legal advice at The Transparency Project, but we know lots of parents are worried about whether or not they can see their children or send them to the other parent. As of late last night the government guidance is clear that the exclusions to the 'stay...