A family court reporting pilot is being opened up to include even more private law cases as part of the judiciary’s work to increase transparency and improve public confidence in the family justice system.

Subject to anonymity rules, media reporters and legal bloggers have been able to report on public and private law proceedings in family courts at Leeds, Cardiff and Carlisle. However, they can now report on private law proceedings, as well as public law cases, at the 16 courts that were added to the pilot in January.

Family division president Sir Andrew McFarlane said: ‘Extending the reporting pilot to include private law in almost half of all family courts is another significant step in the judiciary’s ongoing work to increase transparency and improve public confidence in, and understanding of, the family justice system.

‘We hope that by extending the pilot further, we can continue to understand the impact that family court reporting has. I would like to thank all the judges and staff involved, as well as the journalists who have already engaged with the pilot and encourage them and their colleagues to keep reporting on the family courts and the vital public interest issues that they highlight.’

The media can already report on family cases if an application is made and a transparency order is granted. The pilot creates the presumption that an order will be made.

Under the extended pilot, reporters and legal bloggers will be able to report on public and private law cases at Liverpool, Manchester, Carlisle, West Yorkshire, Kingston-upon-Hull, Nottingham, Stoke, Derby, Birmingham, Central Family Court, East London, West London, Dorset, Truro, Luton, Guildford, Milton Keynes and Cardiff.

Law Society president Nick Emmerson welcomed the announcement, saying: 'Provided it is done in a sensitive manner and the identities of vulnerable parties are protected, reporting these cases is a valuable tool in informing the public.'

 

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