Transparency Project: Family Court Reporting Watch – Weekly Round-Up

The purpose of this update is to correct, clarify and comment on media reports of family court cases, to explain and comment on published Judgments of family cases and to highlight other transparency news.

Media Reports of Family Courts Case and Family Justice Issues

• Worst headline – The Brief (Times legal e-newsletter)

‘Couple awarded anonymity after breaching child contact order’
(or NOT) : https://t.co/w675uJyy6n

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 27, 2017

• Inaccurate

The Telegraph

Christopher Booker’s St George’s Day Myth, by the positively #firebreathing @BarbaraRich_law : https://t.co/RD2uRIPC23 pic.twitter.com/YcbfQqLVQ4

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 23, 2017

The Times

We comment on this https://t.co/1Rah5VLcXB here @seethrujustice https://t.co/i69X9JiUof

— Dr Julie Doughty (@julie_doughty) April 26, 2017

The Times, The Telegraph and John Hemming?

A simple question – blog by @familoo featuring @johnhemming4mp @JamesTurner37 @BPTC_Lecturer @martingeorge @julie_doughty & @BarristerSecret https://t.co/ZnjdPX7JXh

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 24, 2017

The Daily Mail

Too Middle Class to be a Good Mum? @SVPhillimore’s fact checking klaxon sounds on @MailOnline : https://t.co/iyqqkViIeO

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 18, 2017

The Daily Mail Again

Significantly misleading or just plain partisan? The Daily Mail re-visited in light of Peter Jackson J's judgment: https://t.co/Jq5vnvRa49

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 18, 2017

• Muddled

The Telegraph

Christopher Booker is puzzled (we’ve answered his questions for him – we’re nice like that) : https://t.co/FzG1Q4RUa5 pic.twitter.com/1Jl5YbNO6L

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 17, 2017

Newly Published Cases for Explanation or Comment

• Helpful case for families on Ehlers Danloss Syndrome explained

This case about baby Effie, who suffers from EDS (a rare bruising condition) now blogged here : https://t.co/sOUmrGqsQM https://t.co/CtmNpndSvZ

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 27, 2017

• The High Court’s decision about Baby Charlie Gard

Emma Nottingham at the Transparency Project on the case of baby Charlie Gard: https://t.co/DwGGhD7mib

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 22, 2017

• The Court of Appeal in Work v Gray

Good Work Mr Work – but is it GENIUS Work? Nope. https://t.co/tX705Dv0Qv #familylaw

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 14, 2017

• The President’s decision in the troublesome and unsatisfactory case of Re W explained

Re W : a “most difficult and concerning case of its type” : https://t.co/64c2f4DFmH #familylaw #adoption

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 12, 2017

• An unusual case of judicial error and the Lord Chancellor’s liability for damages

New on @seethrujustice Why the Lord Chancellor is liable for damages – breach of father's human rights in family ct https://t.co/i69X9JiUof

— Dr Julie Doughty (@julie_doughty) April 12, 2017

In other Transparency News

• Transparency positives

Small thing, but I wish every judge copied Jackson LJ's habit of setting out a brief but helpful 'contents' section atop their rulings pic.twitter.com/m7Pijp3j04

— Litigation Futures (@litfutures) April 26, 2017

• The Transparency Project in the media

Great to see the LEF funded project Family Court Reporting Watch via the Transparency Project in Counsel Magazine here https://t.co/gEGthmlVaV

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 25, 2017

• Blog updated to reflect the newly published Impress Code
• Family cases in the APPG research on unmet legal need in MP surgeries

Family cases in 'the MP's surgery research' and more on legal aid and alternate ways of delivering legal services: https://t.co/qFdX24nkZC

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 25, 2017

• Not naming social workers and redacting detail in family court judgments (and delay in publication)

Some transparency points of interest in this family court judgment reported in community care:https://t.co/Mh2CWRknkc

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 22, 2017

• Reporting a research paper not yet published?

Reports of new research saying some paid Mckenzie Friends play on uncertainty & victimhood of separating fathers https://t.co/buQcSouHhK

— transparency project (@seethrujustice) April 21, 2017

Feature image courtesy of Flickr with thanks to Lauri Heikkinen

This post originally appeared on the Transparency Project blog and is reproduced with permission and thanks.