summary-of-government-proposals

The DCA consultation document, despite running to ninety pages in length, really only manages one substantive proposal for increasing openness and transparency of family courts.

Their main proposal is that journalists should be allowed to attend family court hearings as a right, (although this can still be denied by a judge giving reasons for the refusal). Currently, the press are not allowed into family court hearings and it is an offence to reveal details of a case to anyone, including the press.

They also propose extending the current laws so that identifying the adults involved in a case is also an offence (currently, it is an offence to identify a child).

The DCA summary of their proposals (taken from page 44 of their consultation document) is :

·	Make changes to attendance and reporting restrictions consistent across all family proceedings

·	Allow the media, on behalf of and for the benefit of the public, to attend proceedings as of right, though allowing the court to exclude them where appropriate to do so and, where appropriate, to place restrictions on reporting of evidence

·	Allow attendance by others on application to the court, or on the court’s own motion

·	Ensure reporting restrictions provide for anonymity of those involved in family proceedings (adults and children), while allowing for restrictions to be increased or relaxed, as the case requires

·	Introduce a new criminal offence for breaches of reporting restrictions

·	Make adoption proceedings a special case, so that there is transparency in the process up until the placement order is made, but beyond that proceedings remain private

In addition to proposals we want to consider:

·	Whether we should make special provisions for HMICA and CSCI inspectors and specified other groups

·	Options on the further provision of information