Family Court Reporting Pilot Extended

July 22nd 2024

The Family Court Reporting Pilot has been ongoing since January 2023. The Pilot allows media reporters and legal bloggers to attend, and report on cases (subject to anonymity rules). The cases may be either public or private family law cases. The aim is to increase transparency within the justice system and bolster public confidence in the Family Court. 

Originally covering Leeds, Cardiff, and Carlisle, the Pilot has now been expanded to include a further 16 courts

Does this mean that anyone can come into the Court Room? 

No. The Pilot creates the presumption that a Transparency Order will be made once an application has been issued by the Court. The presumption is, however, open to question. 

There has been some apprehension following the commencement of the Pilot. It is, however, generally regarded as a step in the right direction provided that those parties involved are adequately protected and the reporting is done in a sensitive way. 

The roll-out of the Pilot comes as a “watch this space” as the way the Family Court operates changes with the times. 

Extending the reporting pilot to include private law in almost half of all family courts is another significant step in the judiciary’s ongoing work to increase transparency and improve public confidence in, and understanding of, the family justice system. Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division