Government response to the Victims’ Commissioner’s Annual Victims’ Survey 2023
The UK government has issued a detailed response to the findings and recommendations in the Victims’ Commissioner’s Annual Victims’ Survey 2023, reiterating its commitment to improving the experiences of crime victims throughout the criminal justice system. Alex Davies-Jones MP, Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, highlighted key areas of progress, future initiatives, […]
Government crackdown on explicit deepfakes
Predators who create sexually explicit ‘deepfakes’ could face prosecution as the Government bears down on vile online abuse as part of its mission to make our streets safer. The proliferation of these hyper-realistic images has grown at an alarming rate, causing devastating harm to victims, particularly women and girls who are often the target. To […]
New offence to target failure to report child sexual abuse, announces Home Secretary Yvette Cooper
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to introduce a new offence targeting individuals who cover up or fail to report child sexual abuse, as part of the government’s effort to implement mandatory reporting laws. The change will be added to the Crime and Policing Bill this spring, following recommendations made by Professor Alexis Jay […]
89% of UK couples lack prenuptial agreements
Nine-in-ten (89%) UK couples who are married or in a civil partnership do not have a prenuptial agreement in place, according to new independent research conducted on behalf of Handelsbanken Wealth & Asset Management, highlighting a significant gap in proactive wealth planning. Handelsbanken Wealth & Asset Management’s study shows that 60% of couples between the […]
280k recent divorces delayed due to money struggles, research reveals
New research from Legal & General Retail to mark Divorce Day (Monday 6th January) – where family lawyers report a spike in inquiries following the festive season – has found that 280,000 recent divorces were postponed due to financial pressures. This means that 17% of all divorces that happened in the last five years were […]
New reforms and independent commission to transform social care
Thousands more people with disabilities will be supported to remain in their homes thanks to immediate action government is taking to improve adult social care, support the care workforce and take pressure off the NHS. Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting will confirm a £86 million boost to the Disabled Facilities Grant for this […]
2025 predictions
New Year has arrived, a series of themes and challenges for practitioners, families and policymakers are predicted to be on the horizon. So, what are they? Cost and conduct in litigation Changes to Family Law in England have been aimed to encourage alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and discourage unreasonable litigation behaviour. The court now has […]
Balancing privacy and accountability: a new era for Family Justice
With effect from 27 January 2025 the Reporting Pilot, that has aimed to bring greater transparency to the family courts, will be extended to all courts in England and Wales. As I reflected on this, it was interesting to have stumbled upon some of my own articles on the topic of transparency over the years […]
