Online divorces – click here to end the marriage?

by Polly Morgan | Nov 2, 2017 | Explanation, FCReportingWatch

The Daily Mail have reported on a pilot project in which people start divorce proceedings by completing an online form. The project, which is running in Nottingham, has apparently had really positive results. The current method for starting a divorce is to post the...

Covert Recording : A hot potato lob by the Court of Appeal

by reporting watch team | Oct 24, 2017 | Analysis, Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

The Court of Appeal delivered judgment in Re B (A Child) [2017] EWCA Civ 1579 last week. In it they consider (but do not resolve) the question of how the Family Court should deal with evidence obtained by covert recording. Whilst it took the Court of Appeal almost a...

More adoption or faster adoption?

by Lucy R | Oct 3, 2017 | Cases, Comment, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

“Delayed adoption is sure to damage a child”, writes Clare Foges for The Times (paywall). “Attempting to place children with family members has stalled the process to an alarming extent” says the subheader. Here we go again. For children who...

The muslim foster carer case again – what else has emerged?

by reporting watch team | Oct 2, 2017 | Analysis, Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Notorious

We have covered the case originally headlined “Christian child forced into foster care” on a number of occasions. Our earlier posts can be found here : Religious and cultural identity in foster care, 28 Aug The most secretive court in all of Christendom…,...

Domestic Abuse – revised guidance issued – what does it say?

by reporting watch team | Sep 24, 2017 | Explanation, FCReportingWatch

Children at risk of psychogical or physical abuse must not have contact with parent, judges told (sic) This was the headline in The Times that arose from the publication by the President of the Family Division of a revised Practice Direction 12J (PD12J). PD12J is the...

The shaggy dog that turned out to be a woolly sheep

by Lucy R | Sep 16, 2017 | Cases, Comment, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

As long ago as April a number of lawyers began asking questions to clarify public criticisms made by John Hemming about a case dealt with in the family court. This week John Hemming has published a blog post which appears to be an(other) attempt to answer some of our...