The most secretive court in all of Christendom…

by reporting watch team | Aug 31, 2017 | Analysis, Cases, Comment, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

Recent coverage of the placement of a 5 year old Christian girl with a muslim foster family that spoke no English has generated much outrage and media attention this week. But as more information emerges it is becoming clear that things are more complex and less clear...

Primacy of children’s interests in the publicity debate

by David Burrows | Aug 29, 2017 | Analysis, Cases, Comment, Transparency News

Freedom of expression: are children’s interests ‘paramount’?   In her update on transparency on the Transparency Project blog ‘Lucy R’  raised what has been said by Sir James Munby P: that ‘the interests of the child are NOT paramount on questions of...

Mother jailed for contempt could be named despite her young child being involved in anonymised family court proceedings. Why?

by Paul M | Aug 28, 2017 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

To those accustomed to the idea that the family courts sit “behind closed doors” it may seem surprising for a judge to tell journalists they could name a woman who was being jailed for contempt of court, even though her three-year-old daughter was caught up in a...

The Everlasting Discussion of Lasting Powers of Attorney

by Barbara Rich | Aug 18, 2017 | Analysis, Comment, Court of Protection

An interview with recently-retired senior judge of the Court of Protection, Denzil Lush, on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday 15 August 2017, and associated coverage on the BBC News website and other mainstream media, has led to a flurry of comment and...

Family Court judge accused of misfeasance in public office by social worker he criticised

by reporting watch team | Aug 18, 2017 | Analysis, Cases, Comment, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Notorious

This is a sad and unsatisfactory story. In November last year, the Court of Appeal allowed an appeal brought by an unnamed social worker and an unnamed police officer against findings of an unnamed judge against them. The unusual feature of the case was that neither...

Rights: privacy, anonymity and freedom of expression on family cases

by David Burrows | Aug 14, 2017 | Analysis, Cases, Comment, FCReportingWatch, Trends

‘Open justice’ in family proceedings   As a High Court judge (Mostyn J) has commented (in Appleton & Anor v News Group Newspapers Ltd & Anor [2015] EWHC 2689 (Fam), [2016] 2 FLR 1) rights to open justice in family proceedings are a mess; though – sad to...