F (A Child: Fact-Finding Appeal) [2019] EWCA Civ 1244: what’s the difference between an expert witness and a witness with expertise?

by Malvika Jaganmohan | Aug 9, 2019 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

This is a post from Malvika Jaganmohan, who tweets as @MalvikaJaganmo1. I have already written for this blog on the shortage of expert witnesses in the family courts: my case summary of West Sussex County Council v B looks at the potential for miscarriages...

Supreme Court’s decision in asbestos case: guidance bearing on transparency in family courts

by Lucy R | Aug 4, 2019 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Transparency News

This post explains how a civil case about harm caused by asbestos can have implications for transparency relevant to family courts. Those interested in reading further can see the full judgment here Cape Intermediate Holdings Ltd v Dring (for and on behalf of...

Re AB (Termination of Pregnancy) [2019] EWCA Civ 1215: An explanation of the Court of Appeal’s decision in the so-called ‘forced abortion’ case

by Abigail Bond | Jul 22, 2019 | Cases, Court of Protection, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

This is a post from Abigail Bond, one of our new contributors. Abigail tweets as @AbigailBond1. On Friday 21 June 2019 Mrs Justice Lieven gave an ex tempore (spoken) judgment in open court in the Court of Protection, declaring that AB, a 24 year old...

How does the family court treat domestic abuse?: (A snapshot continued – part 4)

by Sophie Smith Holland | Jul 21, 2019 | Analysis, Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

This is a post from Sophie Smith-Holland, who tweets as @SSmithHolland. The question of how the family court deals with domestic abuse has had a huge amount of public and media attention recently. Concerns have been raised that the system is placing children and...

The Habberfields and the Hab-not-a-fields

by Guest Post | Jun 29, 2019 | Analysis, Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

This is a guest post by Charlotte John. “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep.” Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Last year saw an abundant crop of “proprietary estoppel” disputes between...

Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean they’re out to sue me…

by Lucy R | Jun 17, 2019 | Cases, Comment, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

The Transparency Project was founded in part to counter dodgy headlines and over-simplified or inaccurate media reports about all things family law. Every so often, distortion of what a case *really* says or means comes from within the system. This is one such...