Legal blogging: an appeal from a fact-finding hearing

by Julie Doughty | Feb 21, 2022 | Cases, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging

Over the past few weeks, I attended three online hearings in one case, as a legal blogger. The judge has given me permission to write on it (but more on that, see final paragraphs below). The case was an appeal to a circuit judge, HHJ Levey at Portsmouth Family Court,...

Which Judges can relax reporting restrictions?

by Lucy R | Feb 13, 2022 | FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging

It’s not that often that a journalist or legal blogger attends a family court hearing but, when they do, they will often ask for permission to report what has taken place, anonymously. Because lawyers and judges are often unfamiliar with dealing with this sort...

Open Justice Inquiry – Read the written evidence

by reporting watch team | Nov 27, 2021 | Comment, Consultations, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging, Transparency News

The Justice Committee is currently conducting an inquiry : Open justice: court reporting in the digital age The inquiry is not specific to family justice but it does encompass issues of relevance to the Family Court – so we made written submissions. One of our...

Financial Remedies Transparency Proposals – Our Response

by reporting watch team | Nov 27, 2021 | Consultations, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging, Transparency News

Alongside the main Transparency Review report, the lead judges of the Financial Remedies Court also published a consultation last month seeking views on a proposed ‘reporting permission order’ that is envisaged for regulating access to and use of documents...

When Worlds – and Words – collide

by Louise Tickle | Oct 7, 2021 | Cases, Comment, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging

I’m on holiday in Greece when I hear about a case involving a mother who has taken her children some 10 hours travel-time from the family home, without their father’s knowledge or consent. It’s a case that involves allegations of domestic abuse, a father who admits he...

Stumbling across a paradigm case – part 4 (a personal view)

by Lucy R | Sep 12, 2021 | Cases, Comment, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging

PART 4 COMMENT This is the fourth and final part of a four part blog series. Part 1 is here, and links to parts 2 and 3. Reminder : To ensure that the child and family are not identified I am not allowed to reveal whether the child is a boy or a girl, but to make the...