Ministers admit more work is needed on family legal aid scheme – The Bar Council

Posted July 24th, 2009 in family courts, legal aid, press releases by sally

“Government Ministers have acknowledged that controversial plans to impose fixed fees for legal representation for vulnerable families and children cannot proceed without ‘further analysis’.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 21st July 2009

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Government’s Impact Assessment on Family Legal Aid Contains ‘Surprising and Fundamental’ Errors – The Bar Council

Posted July 17th, 2009 in family courts, legal aid, press releases by sally

“The Bar Council and the Family Law Bar Association have today published a review of the Impact Assessment carried out by Ernst & Young on the impact of the Legal Service Commission’s proposed cuts to the family legal aid budget.  The review, which was conducted by the independent economic consultancy Oxera, analyses the Ernst & Young report, A Market Analysis of Family Advocacy, which was published on the 29th June.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 16th July 2009

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Bar Council Welcomes Centre for Social Justice Report on Family Law Reform – The Bar Council

Posted July 17th, 2009 in family courts, press releases, reports by sally

“The Bar Council has today welcomed the report on family law reform, Every Family Matters, from the Centre for Social Justice, a leading think tank which is chaired by the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP, the former Leader of the Conservative Party.   The Centre for Social Justice’s latest family law report, which focuses on the breakdown of family life in modern Britain, and the way in which this is addressed by the legal system.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 16th July 2009

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Family Legal Aid Plans Torn Apart in Damning Justice Select Committee Report – The Bar Council

Posted July 16th, 2009 in family courts, legal aid, press releases by sally

“Legal Services Commission proposals to cut legal support for vulnerable children and families have been savaged in a damning report from the all-party Justice Select Committee.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 15th July 2009

source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Sir Mark Potter rules on media and celebrity cases in family courts – The Times

Posted July 16th, 2009 in children, family courts, media, news by sally

“Cases in the family courts involving celebrities’ children should be treated in the same way as those involving anyone else’s children, the senior family courts judge said yesterday.”

Full  story

The Times, 16th July 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Family Procedure Rule Committee annual report 2008 – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 13th, 2009 in family courts, press releases by sally

“The annual report for the family procedure rule committee, a non-departmental public body set up under the Courts Act 2003 to make rules of court for use in family proceedings.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 10th July 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Straw: plans to increase transparency and confidence in family courts – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 10th, 2009 in family courts, media, news, privacy by sally

“Jack Straw has announced the next stage of reforms aimed at increasing transparency and confidence in our family justice system.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 9th July 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Straw promises another increase in media scrutiny of family courts – The Times

Posted July 9th, 2009 in family courts, media, news, reporting restrictions by sally

“Thousands of cases in the family courts will be exposed to increased public scrutiny under reforms to be announced today by Jack Straw.”

Full story

The Times, 9th July 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Children to Tell Parliament What Cuts in Legal Representation Mean for their Chances in the Family Justice System – The Bar Council

Posted July 8th, 2009 in children, family courts, legal aid, press releases by sally

“Parliamentarians, family barristers and children’s charities will today continue their discussions on vulnerable children and the law.  At a meeting in Parliament, chaired by Lord Thomas of Gresford QC, speakers from the Family Law Bar Association, Association of Lawyers for Children and the NSPCC, among others, will consider the dramatic impact that proposed cuts to family legal aid will have on vulnerable children and families.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 7th July 2009

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Family courts in crisis, says Sir Mark Potter – The Times

Posted July 3rd, 2009 in delay, family courts, news by sally

“Britain’s most senior family judge called last night for urgent action over a crisis in the family courts fuelled by increasing delays in child abuse cases and lack of funds.”

Full story

The Times, 3rd July 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Early process evaluation of the Public Law Outline in family courts – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 1st, 2009 in family courts, press releases by sally

“A report presenting an early stage process evaluation of the Public Law Outline in family courts.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 1st July 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Celebrity seeks family court media ban – The Guardian

Posted June 30th, 2009 in family courts, media, news, reporting restrictions by sally

“Celebrities should be exempt from new rules opening the family courts to the media, a famous man and his former partner argued today in an effort to protect the privacy of their children.”

Full story

The Guardian, 29th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tycoon Scot Young faces jail in £400m divorce – The Times

Posted June 22nd, 2009 in divorce, family courts, news by sally

“A secretive tycoon at the centre of one of Britain’s biggest divorce cases is facing jail over the whereabouts of his £400m fortune.”

Full story

The Times, 21st June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Senior judge’s ‘concerns for open justice’ in family courts – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 18th, 2009 in family courts, news by sally

“A senior judge admitted he has concerns for ‘open justice’ in family courts after hearing how a couple were prevented from becoming the guardians of their grandson.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 17th June 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Family Procedure Rule Committee news: January – April 2009 – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 8th, 2009 in family courts, press releases by sally

“The Family Procedure Rule Committee has published details of its work between January and April 2009.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 5th June 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Court takes child of ‘stupid’ mother – The Times

Posted June 1st, 2009 in adoption, family courts, learning difficulties, news, parental rights by sally

“When Rachel celebrated her daughter’s third birthday three weeks ago the little girl was a picture of happiness. Yet for her mother it was a bittersweet occasion.”

Full story

The Times, 31st May 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Family courts system accused of hiding evidence from parents – The Times

Posted April 29th, 2009 in data protection, family courts, news, social services by sally

“Parents fighting in the family courts for contact with their children are being denied access to their personal files by a corrupt system, a leading parental rights campaigner has said.”

Full story

The Times, 29th April 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

At last, we go behind the closed doors of family courts – The Times

Posted April 28th, 2009 in family courts, media, news, private hearings by sally

“Yesterday morning I finally walked through a door that used to be marked ‘keep out’. It was an eerie feeling. The guards and clerks at Ipswich County Court were polite, but nervous. One admitted he was a bit shocked by the arrival of two Times journalists. I felt a bit shocked, too — by the banality of the set-up, in contrast to the bitter heartaches it contains.”

Full story

The Times, 28th April 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Justice gets jittery when ‘family court’ doors finally open – The Independent

Posted April 28th, 2009 in family courts, media, news by sally

“The revolution in coverage of the courts has been set back by ‘shambolic’ enforcement of the new rules. Cahal Milmo reports.”

Full story

The Independent, 28th April 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Questions remain as family courts open to press – The Times

Posted April 27th, 2009 in family courts, media, news by sally

“Thousands of family courts are opened to the media for the first time today, amid fears that stringent reporting restrictions will make a mockery of the reform.”

Full story

The Times, 27th April 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk