Coercing the obdurate (and other exercises in futility)…

by reporting watch team | Jan 31, 2017 | Cases, Court of Protection, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

We have previously written about the case of MM (an incapacitated adult living in Portugal in a care home) and Mrs Kirk, who was imprisoned for refusing to assist the court with his return to be cared for back in Devon where he had previously been living. Our first...

Transgender v ultra-Orthodox Jewish community?

by reporting watch team | Jan 31, 2017 | Analysis, Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Notorious

The press widely report the decision of Mr Justice Peter Jackson in a very sad and difficult case involving an ultra-orthodox Jewish (Charedi) family, where the father left the community to become a transgender woman, and has not seen her five children since. Mr...

From one extreme to another: media reports on the role of social workers in the death of Poppy Widdison

by reporting watch team | Jan 28, 2017 | Analysis, Cases, FCReportingWatch

Poppy died 3 years ago, aged just 4, at the hands of her mother and partner who were long standing addicts. She had head injuries, bruising and had ingested drugs including heroin, methadone and ketamine in the 6 months before her death. According to recent reports...

Wife leads – and loses – fight to keep divorce hearings secret

by reporting watch team | Jan 21, 2017 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Transparency News

The Times reported earlier this week that a case was about to be heard in which the Court of Appeal was being asked to consider the question of privacy in respect of financial remedy cases and appeals – and that it was thought that the Appeal Judges might issue...

Judge rejects Welsh local authority’s care plan and allows mother to keep her eighth baby

by reporting watch team | Jan 12, 2017 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

The judgment of His Honour Judge Gareth Jones in Re A (A Child) [2016] EWFC B101 (25 August 2016) was recently published on BAILII. Although it is not an authority from a higher court we think it is a good illustration of some important principles, and also contains...

Family Court Reporting Watch Roundup

by reporting watch team | Jan 7, 2017 | Cases, Comment, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

Correcting, clarifying or commenting on media reports of family court cases Explaining or commenting on published judgments of family court cases Highlighting other transparency news MEDIA (MIS)REPORTS OF FAMILY COURT CASES The Times and the Telegraph – Polly...