Opening The Doors Of The Family Courts - A Major Change From 27 April 2009

In December 2008 the Government announced that the Family

Courts, which until now have been almost entirely private, were to

be opened up to the media to allow better insight into the

mechanics of family court proceedings. The stated purpose was to

lift the veil of secrecy that protected family court proceedings

from public scrutiny. No underlying detail was published at the

time and only on 20 April 2009 was any court guidance produced.

The key change brought about by the new rules

From 27 April 2009 accredited members of the media will be

permitted to attend most family law hearings that would otherwise

be held in private (except those hearings designed to aid

negotiations)

The ability of the media to report

The media will be subject to existing reporting restrictions but

we are concerned that they will not necessarily provide

comprehensive protection to parties to family law proceedings

Where proceedings relate to children...