The Transparency and Open Justice Board – consultation on key objectives

by reporting watch team | Mar 2, 2025 | Consultations, FCReportingWatch

In April last year, the Lady Chief Justice set up a new Transparency and Open Justice Board, chaired by Mr Justice Nicklin. It aims to lead and coordinate the promotion of transparency and open justice across the courts and tribunals of England & Wales and support...

Re XY Twins – another family court judgment names an individual to warn parents

by Julie Doughty | Feb 17, 2025 | Cases, Comment, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

Last week,  we wrote on a family court judgment about children that had been published on TNA and BAILII naming an individual party, which we said almost never happened. That’s because of the strict privacy and anonymity rules intended to protect children who are...

Judgment published to warn women against sperm donor who has “180 kids”

by Julie Doughty | Feb 12, 2025 | Cases, FCReportingWatch, Notorious

A family court judgment published on BAILII and TNA last month exposed prolonged harassment of the parents of a small child who had been conceived by sperm donation – by a man they’d met on social media who they thought had unselfishly offered to help them...

Family Court Reporting Watch Roundup: January 2025

by reporting watch team | Feb 7, 2025 | FCReportingWatch, Transparency News

Welcome to the Roundup, where we correct, clarify and comment on the previous month’s media reports of family law, explain and comment on published family court judgments, and highlight other recent transparency news.  MEDIA COVERAGE OF FAMILY LAW,...

Identification of judges in Sara Sharif family court history

by reporting watch team | Jan 31, 2025 | Cases, FCReportingWatch, Notorious

Amidst all the concern about the anonymisation of the family court judges in the historical decisions made about placing Sara Sharif with her father, we should not lose sight of the fact that Mr Justice Williams allowed the media extensive access to documents that...

New court rules allow more reporting from family courts

by reporting watch team | Jan 30, 2025 | FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging, Reporting Pilot, Resources, Transparency News

What was introduced as the Reporting ‘Pilot’ in 2023 is now a permanent change in family courts, to allow more reporting by journalists and legal bloggers. Within a few months, reporting will be easier in almost all family court cases. The changes are...