Re C – appeal about a hybrid hearing

by Julie Doughty | Jun 12, 2020 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch

This post is an update to the hearing I attended last week that I wrote about here . The Court of Appeal judgment has now been published on BAILII as Re C (Children: Covid-19: Representation) [2020] EWCA Civ 734 . The judgment is given by Lord Justice Peter Jackson....

Vaccination – No ‘biggie’ but still ‘a big deal’

by Guest Post | Jun 10, 2020 | Analysis, Cases, Explanation

This is a guest post from Katie Gollop. Katie is a barrister at Serjeants’ Inn Chambers specialising in healthcare related law. She’s also a Deputy High Court Judge allocated to the Family Division and Court of Protection. Cometh the hour, cometh a timely change in...

How to observe remote hearings in the Court of Protection

by Guest Post | Jun 7, 2020 | Court of Protection, FCReportingWatch

This is a guest post by Celia Kitzinger, co-director of the Coma and Disorders of Consciousness Research Centre and Honorary Professor, Cardiff University School of Law and Politics. She tweets as @KitzingerCelia and can be contacted at:...

Remote Court Hearings Guidance Note

by reporting watch team | Jun 7, 2020 | Guidance Note, Resources

This short guide explains what remote court hearings are and how they will work. It answers some common queries that users may have. We hope that it will be useful for parents involved in family court cases about their children – or for anyone else involved in...

Civil Justice Council report on the impact of COVID-19 on civil courts

by Paul M | Jun 7, 2020 | Comment, Transparency News, Trends

“The rapid expansion of the use of remote hearings has been central to facilitating the continued operation of the justice system”, notes Dr Natalie Byrom in the introduction to her report, for the Civil Justice Council, examining the impact of the changes mandated by...

Attending the Court of Appeal – remotely

by Julie Doughty | Jun 4, 2020 | Cases, Explanation, FCReportingWatch, Legal blogging

Today I attended a Court of Appeal hearing as a member of the public. The Court of Appeal sits in public so if you’re nearby in London, you can go in to see what’s going on. Today’s hearing was however held remotely because of the corona virus...

Thank you for your nominations – TP wins a thousand!

by Lucy R | Jun 4, 2020 | FCReportingWatch, Project, Transparency News

We are super pleased to be able to tell you that we have won a £1,000 Movement for Good award, thanks to nominations from you guys! If you will excuse the pun, this is grand news! The project is one of 500 winners in specialist insurer Ecclesiastical’s Movement...

Legal blogging a phone hearing: Not remotely difficult (so far)

by Alice T | Jun 1, 2020 | Legal blogging

Inspired by Celia Kitzinger’s efforts in the Court of Protection and MacDonald J’s lecture last week, I’m hoping to attend some remote family court hearings under the legal blogging pilot in coming weeks to test the practical reality behind the...

Open letter from NGOs and academics on open justice in the Covid-19 emergency

by Lucy R | May 29, 2020 | Comment, FCReportingWatch, Trends

In recent weeks, the House of Commons select committee on justice has been assured by members of the government, judiciary and court service that open justice continues, despite changes to the nature of physical hearings, and increased use of technology for many types...

Illusory Open Justice: A Kafkan Attempt to Observe Magistrates Courts in the Time of COVID-19

by Guest Post | May 27, 2020 | Comment, Transparency News, Trends

This is a guest post by Tara Casey, a caseworker in the Women’s Justice Initiative of the charity law practice APPEAL, an organisation dedicated to correcting miscarriages of justice through strategic litigation and campaigning. COVID-19 has taken a hammer to the...