P (A Child: Remote Hearing) (Rev 3) [2020] EWFC 32: When is remote justice not justice?

by Jack Harrison | Apr 23, 2020 | Cases, Comment, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

Re P (A Child: Remote Hearing) (Rev 3) [2020] EWFC 32 is a decision of the President of the Family Division and Head of Family Justice, Sir Andrew McFarlane, about whether or not a 15 day trial should go ahead remotely. The trial was set down within care proceedings...

Family Court Reporting Watch Roundup

by reporting watch team | Apr 13, 2020 | Analysis, Cases, Comment, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Transparency News

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...

Remote hearings: a gulf between lawyers and lay parties?

by Malvika Jaganmohan | Mar 29, 2020 | Analysis, Cases, Comment, Court of Protection, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Notorious

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,...

COVID-19 and family courts: Links in one place to new arrangements

by Alice T | Mar 21, 2020 | Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Transparency News

Published 21 March 2020. Updated 29 June 2020 There’s been a flurry of guidance in response to the pandemic. We’ve gathered some useful links (with key definitions) to help families, advice workers and professionals find and use practical information more...

Secret babies – non-notification of dads and extended families

by Lucy Reed | Mar 16, 2020 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

Last year, we wrote a post about non-notification of fathers about family court applications where there was a history of violence or abuse, in particular where a child had been conceived of rape (See : When should I apply for permission not to notify a father about a...

“In the battle between the parents both children risk being run over by the tanks”

by Julie Doughty | Mar 13, 2020 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

This judgment, startlingly, comprises 500 paragraphs, although with a helpful List of Contents added by HHJ Dancey, at Bournemouth Family Court. The case is called JD and another v VB and others [2020] EWFC 16. The judge’s opening paragraphs [1-4] grab attention: “In...