Is it appropriate to admit covert recordings of professionals or others within family proceedings?

by reporting watch team | Nov 11, 2016 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Project

Earlier in 2016, The Transparency Project, along with the Association of Lawyers for Children and others, were invited by His Honour Judge Bellamy (Designated Family Judge for Leicester) to make written submissions to the Family Court regarding the question of covert...

A “Gay parents row” – OR who can adopt and when?

by reporting watch team | Nov 7, 2016 | Explanation, FCReportingWatch

There has been coverage in The Times and The Telegraph this week about a husband and wife who wish to adopt their foster children but have been told they can’t, because of their views about gay adoption. We thought it would be useful to give a brief explanation...

The X Files (Or: the Truth is Out There — but can a civil court rehearing really find it?)

by Paul M | Nov 2, 2016 | Explanation, FCReportingWatch

In a judgment handed down today, Re X (No 3) [2016] EWHC 2755 (Fam) the President of the Family Division, Sir James Munby, decided to continue, despite the withdrawal of the birth parents concerned, a full re-hearing of the original allegations made in care...

Ellie Butler case debated in House of Lords

by reporting watch team | Oct 26, 2016 | Analysis, Cases, FCReportingWatch

The Children And Social Work Bill is going through Parliament at present. It has been controversial due to parts which some have said would allow social services to be privatised and which could remove current safeguards. This post is about another aspect of the Bill,...

Transparency: the Perfect Storm

by Sarah P | Oct 23, 2016 | Analysis, Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

The recent decisions of Hayden J concerning a 7 year old boy, whose mother insisted he wished to be raised as a girl, set out a wide variety of the issues that concern the Transparency Project and which have provoked strong emotion for many readers. a complicated set...

If your ex takes your child to the other end of the country should the court treat it as abduction?

by reporting watch team | Oct 22, 2016 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

The Court of Appeal has clarified the question of how courts should deal with cases where one parent takes a child to live in a distant part of the country without the agreement of the other. The case is Re R (Child) [2016] EWCA Civ 1016 (20 October 2016) and the full...