Blog
Observations on a case about suspected fabricated illness under the new reporting pilot
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,...
Parenting at a distance – a correct use of section 20
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?
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
At the end of January 2023, a new reporting pilot [update, the linked guidance from November has now been superceded by a version dated 18 January here - readers should check the TIG page regularly for the most up to date version as this document may change as the...
Mind the Gap – the welfare decisions for H-N, a child (PART TWO)
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)
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’
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...
Family Court reporting pilot courts
From 30th January 2023, the current postion for the media or legal bloggers who attend family court hearings will change in three courts. Under a pilot scheme introduced by Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division, it will no longer be necessary for a...
Logan Mwangi – the Child Practice Review and the family courts
This blog post will not go into detail about the distressing history of five year old Logan Mwangi, with which we are all too familiar through media coverage of the trial of the three people who were responsible for his death. An impression had been given at that time...
FGM: Bad-faith actors and unintended consequences
This is a guest post by Georgia Fineberg about the case of Nottingham County Council v OA & Anor [2022] EWFC 102 (17 August 2022). Georgia is a pupil barrister who has worked for nine years in the women's voluntary sector, primarily supporting...