When Expert Evidence Goes Wrong – the lessons to be learned

by Sarah P | Mar 28, 2018 | Explanation, FCReportingWatch

C (interim judgment on expert evidence) [2018] EWFC B9 (24 January 2018) This is an ‘ordinary’ family judgment but noteworthy because it shows: The considerable dangers of expert evidence which is not based on clear facts or reliable clinical practice; How...

Q : What happens when you break an order made by the family court? A : Prison, that’s what

by reporting watch team | Mar 25, 2018 | Cases, FCReportingWatch

There have been a couple of examples of family court judges sending people to prison for deliberately ignoring their orders. Although it doesn’t happen very often, as judges prefer to find another way to deal with matters where possible, family judges can and do send...

Judge tells lawyers off for talking over one another in court

by reporting watch team | Mar 22, 2018 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

In a judgment published on the BAILII website this week, a High Court Judge, Mr Justice MacDonald has criticized barristers involved in a case concerning the contact a 13 year old girl should have with her father, for the way they constantly interrupted one...

Family Court Reporting Watch Roundup

by reporting watch team | Mar 6, 2018 | 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 Oxford Mail – We’ve barely...

Crisis in care – crisis in confidence?

by Lucy R | Mar 4, 2018 | Comment, FCReportingWatch, Trends

In November 2017 Family Rights Group launched an enquiry into the causes of the increasing numbers of children in care and in care proceedings. No doubt there are many such causes. As we noted in September [2017] Fam Law 1048, those causes probably include...

The role of transparency in rebuilding public trust and confidence

by Lucy R | Mar 4, 2018 | Comment, FCReportingWatch

As we noted in ‘Transparency Project News’ in July [2017] Fam Law 778, August 2017 is the third anniversary of Sir James Munby’s Transparency – the next steps consultation (still available on the judiciary website). We also noted that those responses...