President of the Family Division releases draft guidance on transparency in Family Proceedings following successful appeal

09/05/19

The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has released draft guidance, for consultation, on reporting in the Family Courts.

https://www.judiciary.uk/announcements/president-of-the-family-division-releases-draft-guidance-on-reporting-in-the-family-courts/

The guidance has been introduced following an appeal in Re R (A Child) (Reporting Restrictions) [2019] EWCA 482 Civ heard on 15 February 2019, brought by journalist Louise Tickle against a reporting restriction order made in family proceedings.  The case, which involved a young child removed from their mother but then returned following a successful appeal to the Court of Appeal, raised important public interest considerations which journalists had been prevented from reporting.  The draft Guidance adopts proposals put forward by them at the appeal which highlighted the difficulty for journalists and legal bloggers in reporting such cases and the importance of such reporting to free speech and open justice.