Capacity to use the internet

by reporting watch team | Mar 9, 2019 | Analysis, Cases, Court of Protection, FCReportingWatch

This is a guest post from Keri Tayler. Keri is a barrister specialising in Court of Protection work. She tweets as @keri_tayler. Two recent judgments in the Court of Protection sparked the usual inaccurate headlines suggesting that the court had ridden roughshod over...

Court of Appeal decision about orders for post-adoption contact

by reporting watch team | Mar 9, 2019 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

Re B (A Child) (Post-adoption contact) [2019] EWCA Civ 29 is the first time (since a change in the law in 2014) that the Court of Appeal has considered when an order should be made that an adopted child will have continuing contact with their birth family after he or...

Shamima’s baby – the family law aspect

by reporting watch team | Feb 25, 2019 | FCReportingWatch, Notorious

We’ve started trying to write something about Shamima Begum and her baby several times this week, but every time we agree what we are going to write, something changes. It feels a bit like shifting sands, and the facts are very unclear. So we aren’t going...

Coronation Street Child Abortion Storyline: What is the law?

by Emma Nottingham | Feb 25, 2019 | Explanation, FCReportingWatch

What is the law? Last week on Coronation Street, 14-year-old Amy Barlow had an abortion. In line with the current law in England and Wales, she was able to do so without her parents consent. The story caught media attention after twitter users appeared surprised by...

BC v BG – Challenging arbitration awards in divorce cases

by Paul M | Feb 19, 2019 | Analysis, Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

Divorcing couples who cannot agree how to divide their property can, as an alternative to costly and time consuming litigation, refer the matter to an arbitrator. But if one of them isn’t happy about the outcome, the matter could still end up in court. The recent case...

Tickle’s Triumph – an independent journalist succeeds in her appeal to secure the right to report on a family case – and prompts new guidance

by reporting watch team | Feb 15, 2019 | Analysis, Cases, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging, Transparency News

Today, independent journalist and Transparency Project member Louise Tickle took her appeal against a reporting restriction order made by a family judge, to the Court of Appeal. She won.  Louise and others are now able to report the story of a mother’s long...