THE FAMILY COURTS MUST SHOW THEIR WORKINGS

by Guest Post | Aug 13, 2020 | Cases, Comment, FCReportingWatch

Melanie Newman is a freelance journalist. Previously a reporter at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, she has also worked for BBC Newsnight and the Victoria Derbyshire Programme. She writes for the British Medical Journal and is a regular contributor to the Law...

Family court stat spike due to covid? Not remotely so.

by Jo Edwards | Jul 30, 2020 | Comment, FCReportingWatch

This is a guest post by Jo Edwards, who tweets as @MissJoEdwards. Last Sunday morning started pleasantly enough.  Sun peeking through the shutters after being a no-show the day before; a cup of tea in bed; a visit to the gym looming and the prospect of...

The Spotlight Review on domestic abuse – where does it fit in with other court reforms?

by Julie Doughty | Jul 24, 2020 | Comment, Consultations, FCReportingWatch

The work undertaken by the ‘spotlight panel’ appointed by the Ministry of Justice, reported in what is being referred to as the ‘harm report’, has already been commented on here and here. Its full title is ‘Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law...

Recusal refusal: judge declines to step down in response to litigant’s suspicions of apparent bias

by Paul M | Jul 17, 2020 | Cases, Comment, Explanation

In an earlier post we described how a judge refused to allow a McKenzie Friend to speak in court on behalf of a litigant in person. In a further judgment in the same case, Ameyaw v McGoldrick [2020] EWHC 1787 (QB), Mrs Justice Steyn refused the litigant’s application...

Another view on the government ‘spotlight review’ report – on how the family courts treat domestic abuse

by Guest Post | Jul 8, 2020 | Comment, FCReportingWatch, Transparency News

This is a guest post by Ursula Rice. Ursula is a Solicitor-Advocate and Director at Family First Solicitors. She tweets as @tweetygraffity. We hope to publish more posts about this Review in the coming days. You can read previous posts here and here. On...

Right of audience denied: McKenzie Friend not allowed to speak for litigant who was ‘well able to speak on her own behalf’

by Paul M | Jul 5, 2020 | Cases, Comment, Explanation

The recent case of Ameyaw v McGoldrick [2020] EWHC 1741 (QB) offers a cautionary tale about McKenzie Friends and what they can and can’t do for you in court. In this case the judge, Mrs Justice Steyn, refused to allow the MF to make oral submissions on behalf of...