Parenting at a distance – a correct use of section 20

by Julie Doughty | Jan 12, 2023 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

Use of section 20 Children Act 1989 for the voluntary accommodation of children has long been subject to controversy. Critcisms of practice have ranged from alleged coercion of parents into agreeing and lack of fully informed consent, through to allowing children to...

FAMILY JUSTICE: OSTIIS APERTIS?

by Guest Post | Jan 12, 2023 | Cases, Comment, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging, Notorious, Transparency News

FAMILY JUSTICE: OSTIIS APERTIS?[1] Or a mantle of inviolable secrecy?[2] A challenge to those who would keep the doors closed This is a guest post by Sir James Munby, former President of the Family Division On 28 October 2021 the President published the outcome of his...

LEGAL BLOGGING IN THE FAMILY COURT – A NEW PHASE

by reporting watch team | Jan 1, 2023 | Events, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging, Reporting Pilot, Transparency News

At the end of January 2023, a new reporting pilot [update, the linked guidance from November has now been superceded by a version dated 18 January here – readers should check the TIG page regularly for the most up to date version as this document may change as...

Mind the Gap – the welfare decisions for H-N, a child (PART TWO)

by Alice T | Dec 7, 2022 | Analysis, Cases, Comment, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging

PART TWO  This is Part Two of a report from observing a final hearing in the Central London Family Court as a legal blogger and applying for the usual statutory bar on reporting to be lifted, so as to be able to publish this anonymised report. Part One is my...

Mind the Gap – the welfare decisions for H-N, a child (PART ONE)

by Alice T | Dec 7, 2022 | Analysis, Cases, Comment, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging

This is a report from observing a final hearing in the Central London Family Court as a legal blogger and applying for the usual statutory bar on reporting to be lifted, so as to be able to publish this anonymised report. It’s split into two parts as it’s long. Part...

‘A failure of implementation’ – House of Lords Committee: ‘unacceptable’ that legislation for children and families was ‘largely left on the shelf’

by Julie Doughty | Dec 5, 2022 | Consultations, FCReportingWatch

The House of Lords set up a parliamentary post-legislative scrutiny committee in January 2022 to inquire into the effectiveness of the Children and Families Act 2014. One of the several criticisms that appear in the committee’s report (published today) is the delay in...