Family Law

On 22 March 2007 the Government published the responses to its consultation paper Confidence and confidentiality: Improving transparency and privacy in family courts (CP 11/06) which set out the Government's proposals for improving transparency and privacy in the family courts. One of the proposals which provoked most debate during the consultation was that of the media attending courts as proxy for the public, a topic which arises throughout the report. An area which received wide support was increasing the amount of information available on how the family justice system works. Also popular was making that and other information available to those involved in proceedings. There was particularly strong support for the proposal on later life information, that is, retaining information for adults about the family proceedings in which they had been involved as children. Children, young people and adults agreed that later life information should be available and that it could take a variety of forms, such as a transcript or summary of the judgment.

Over 200 children and young people took part in the consultation process. In addition to the main response paper, their views were also published in the Young people's guide to the confidence and confidentiality response paper, which was produced with the help of the Office of the Children's Rights Director. For further information on both the response paper and the young people's guide see www.dca.gov.uk/consult/courttransparencey1106/cp1106.htm and May [2007] Fam Law.