The practice of remote hearings in the family court can and does challenge the features of fairness and empathy. There is more to a successful hearing than providing administrative and practical IT support to participants and particularly to Litigants in Person. Many parents are taking part in hearings remotely on their own and from their […]
I am a great fan of the Transparency Project and keep up to date with their news and blogs. This week I intended to create a blog on the subject of “Empathy in relation to Remote Hearings” – but I was struck by the information provided by the Transparency Project in their blog regarding HMCTS […]
The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory is an independent organisation that improves the lives of children and families by putting data and evidence at the heart of the family justice system. They state….. “The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory exists to find and fill the gaps in our understanding of the family justice system, highlight the areas […]
My brain sometimes becomes overloaded with all the information, data, views, opinions, beliefs, reviews, reports and judgments that circulate around in life generally and more specifically within the family court sphere. It seems that there are so many views and opinions that are divisive and create discord, acrimony and rancor which are significant boundaries to […]
The president of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has issued a memorandum setting out the approach for drafting orders in the Family Court, in order to mitigate a number of problems. Within this memorandum he has issued a warning to family lawyers and other practitioners over the preparation of witness statements and drafting orders. […]
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was established in 1999 by the General Assembly of the United Nations, with Resolution 54/134 of 17 December, and is held every year on 25 November. The day is also known as Orange Day because the colour orange is recognised across the world […]
In a perfect or even an imperfect world, it should be feasible that every important decision relating to a child should be made with the agreement of both parents. During and after separation such decisions can become difficult to agree upon. However there is potential for issues to be resolved through a variety of options […]
The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has published a report providing his conclusions following a review of the provisions on transparency in the family courts. He outlines that “the present system in the Family Courts whereby a journalist may attend any hearing but may not always report what they observe, is not […]
Special measures are provisions available under the direction of the court to aid vulnerable parties to give evidence or participate in court proceedings. Provision for special measures in family proceedings is made in Part 3A of the Family Procedure Rules 2010, supported by Practice Direction 3AA. These rules provide that victims of domestic abuse, and […]
NEWS Cafcass launched its relationship-based practice framework called “Together with children and families” in September this year. Cafcass state on their website that this new framework sets out the importance of working with children and their families, based on developing trusting relationships and where listening, understanding, clear reasoning, respect and integrity are prioritised. Cafcass outline […]