Why we don’t know what’s going on in family courts – Transparency Project

Posted August 14th, 2024 in anonymity, families, family courts, news, reporting restrictions, statistics by sally

‘We hear a lot about ‘secret’ family courts because of reporting restrictions and family privacy, but there is more to genuine transparency than holding processes out in the open. To understand how a system is operating we need information based on reliable data across that system.’

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Transparency Project, 14th August 2024

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

Bar tribunal refuses to hear objections to anonymity application – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 12th, 2024 in anonymity, barristers, disciplinary procedures, media, news by sally

‘A judge has refused to hear media objections to an application by a well-known member of the bar for anonymity during upcoming disciplinary proceedings.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 12th August 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Why did a judge name Southport stabbing suspect Axel Rudakubana?

Posted August 2nd, 2024 in anonymity, children, judges, murder, news, public interest, public order, young offenders by michael

‘Under Section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, minors facing criminal charges have an automatic right to anonymity in a youth court. Judges will also impose reporting restrictions for most cases heard in an adult court if the defendant is under 18.’

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The Independent, 1st August 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judge lifts anonymity in family court judgment involving Premier League footballer – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A judge has taken the unusual step of publishing an unanonymised and unredacted family court judgment involving Premier League footballer and England vice-captain Kyle Walker – after concluding that to anonymise or redact the judgment would have opened the court to ridicule.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 31st July 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Dentons’ breach of AML rules was “inadvertent” – Legal Futures

‘A breach of the anti-money laundering (AML) rules by Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, was “inadvertent” and did not amount to professional misconduct, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 24th June 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Teenager detained for life for murdering boy, 15 – BBC News

‘A 15-year-old boy who murdered Leeds teenager Alfie Lewis in a knife attack outside a primary school has been detained for life with a minimum term of 13 years.’

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BBC News, 21st June 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Wolverhampton guilty verdicts raise issue of naming child killers – The Guardian

‘Some believe naming convicted children acts as deterrent, while others say it could glorify horrific acts.’

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The Guardian, 15th June 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge allows reporting of case where DNA tests established that three abandoned babies were full sibliings – Local Government Lawyer

‘A newborn baby abandoned in Newham, East London, has been found – following DNA testing – to be the third child abandoned by the same parents.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th June 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Premier League club boss wins anonymity in child sex abuse civil case – BBC News

Posted May 10th, 2024 in anonymity, child abuse, children, civil justice, damages, news, sexual offences, sport by sally

‘A Premier League boss has been granted a High Court anonymity order in a civil case against him for allegedly sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl.’

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BBC News, 9th May 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal row could finally force mystery artist Banksy to reveal his real name – The Guardian

Posted March 11th, 2024 in anonymity, artistic works, contracts, news by sally

‘Two art collectors are taking legal action against artist over his ‘refusal’ to confirm the authenticity of one of his famous images.’

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The Guardian, 9th March 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Redaction of names of junior civil servants in judicial review proceedings – Local Government Lawyer

‘In a unanimous judgment, the Court of Appeal has dismissed the government’s appeal of a High Court judgment which proscribed the government’s practice of routinely redacting the names of junior civil servants when supplying disclosure in judicial review proceedings. Christian Grierson and Jonathan Blunden analyse the judgment.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 9th February 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Redacting names of junior civil servants in disclosed documents does not fulfil duty of candour, Court of Appeal finds – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has found the practice of Government departments redacting the names of junior civil servants when disclosed is “inimical to open government” and does not fulfil the duty of candour.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th February 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Brianna Ghey: Why teenagers who killed her can be named – BBC News

‘Two teenagers who murdered 16-year-old Brianna Ghey after devising a “kill list” of children to target will be named for the first time today.’

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BBC News, 2nd February 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Austerity contributing to rise in children in care – head of Family Court – BBC News

‘Austerity has contributed to a rise in the number of children in care, the most senior judge in the family courts has told the BBC.’

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BBC News, 29th January 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Use and Misuse of the Rubric in the Family Courts – Financial Remedies Journal

Posted January 12th, 2024 in anonymity, children, families, family courts, judgments, news, reporting restrictions by sally

‘In a familiar line of cases of which the first was BT v CU [2021] EWFC 87, [2022] 1 WLR 1349, paras [100]–[114], and the last In re PP (A Child: Anonymisation) [2023] EWHC 330 (Fam), [2023] 4 WLR 48, paras [49]–[62], and Augousti v Matharu [2023] EWHC 1900 (Fam), paras [68]–[93], Mostyn J has explosively ignited a most necessary debate about the anonymisation of judgments in financial remedy cases. Part of his compelling analysis – which, so far as I am aware, no-one has yet succeeded in challenging successfully – relates to the use, or as he would have it, the inveterate misuse of the rubric attached to judgments in such cases.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 8th January 2024

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

Almost half of family courts to allow reporting in England and Wales – BBC News

Posted January 12th, 2024 in anonymity, families, family courts, media, news, pilot schemes, reporting restrictions by sally

‘A pilot scheme to allow journalists and legal bloggers to report cases from three family courts in England and Wales is to be extended to almost half of the courts in the countries.’

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BBC News, 12th January 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judge refuses to redact civil servants’ names in JR of Parole Board recommendation for long-serving prisoner – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 9th, 2024 in anonymity, civil servants, judgments, news, parole, rape by sally

‘A High Court judge has said there was no “legitimate reason” to anonymise civil servants in a judgment concerning the parole of a rapist who has spent 41 years in prison. Declining a request to redact the names of junior civil servants, the Honourable Justice Fordham said nobody would be imperilled by his decision.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 8th January 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Justice accuses Government of seeking to establish blanket anonymity for “junior” civil servants – Local Government Lawyer

‘Law reform charity Justice has intervened on what it called a “principle of open justice”, to allege the Government wanted blanket anonymity for civil servants deemed ‘junior’ in documents disclosed in judicial review proceedings.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 16th November 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Appeal confirms that persons unknown must identify themselves if they wish to challenge a bill of costs – Gatehouse Chambers

‘Dispute Resolution analysis: An appeal court has confirmed that a ‘person unknown’ who refused to identify himself during proceedings for breach of copyright was debarred from challenging a bill of costs in detailed assessment proceedings unless he identified himself.’

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Gatehouse Chambers, 4th October 2023

Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk

Egg and sperm donors in UK to lose right to anonymity at birth under new plans – The Guardian

Posted November 14th, 2023 in anonymity, assisted reproduction, birth, DNA, news by sally

‘People who donate sperm, eggs and embryos to help others have children will lose the right to anonymity from the moment the child is born, under proposed changes to UK fertility law.’

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The Guardian, 14th November 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com