New Guidance note – What to do if a reporter attends your hearing

by reporting watch team | Jan 22, 2023 | FCReportingWatch, Guidance Note, Legal blogging, Reporting Pilot

As the Transparency Reporting Pilot is about to launch, we thought it would be helpful if we gathered together some helpful tips for those who may be about to encounter journalists and legal bloggers in their courtrooms for the first time. Tip number one : Don’t...

Observations on a case about suspected fabricated illness under the new reporting pilot

by Alice T | Jan 19, 2023 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging, Reporting Pilot, Transparency News

The winds of change are perhaps already blowing, with at least one family court case already operating under the open justice pilot due to start from 30 January for most children cases in Leeds, Cardiff and Carlisle. What can be reported of this case, at this stage,...

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At the end of January 2023, a new reporting pilot [update, the linked guidance from November has now been superceded by a version dated 18 January here – readers should check the TIG page regularly for the most up to date version as this document may change as...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