The transparency pilot allowing the reporting of family court proceedings has been expanded to cover both public and private law cases before magistrates. As of Friday, magistrates in all 19 pilot areas are now included in the scheme.
Additionally, from today, November 11, the pilot for reporting financial remedy proceedings will extend to the Royal Courts of Justice. This scheme has been in place at the Central Family Court, Birmingham, and Leeds since January.
The pilot, which started in Leeds, Cardiff, and Carlisle in January 2023, permits accredited journalists and legal bloggers to report on children cases under strict anonymity rules. It was extended nationally a year later and included private law cases in July. This initiative presumes media and legal bloggers may report on family court cases, with reporting allowed under a transparency order issued when a journalist attends.
Journalists can interview and quote parties involved, and access certain court documents, provided they adhere to anonymity conditions. Speaking on the pilot’s expansion, Sir Andrew McFarlane, president of the Family Division, called it a “huge step” toward greater transparency and public confidence in the family justice system.
Coinciding with this expansion is the start of a family court reporting week, organized by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), with events in Derby, Luton, and Leeds to highlight the importance of family court reporting. Louise Tickle, TBIJ’s coordinator, emphasized the critical role of independent media in scrutinizing the decision-making processes within these courts.
The pilot includes courts in 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, Leeds, and Cardiff.
