Opposition to the Media Bill

A briefing paper on Part 2 of the Children, Schools and Families Bill has been sent by the Interdisciplinary Alliance for Children to 647 members of the House of Commons in readiness for the Second Reading of the Bill in the House of Commons on Monday 11 January.

The Committee Stage is anticipated in the week beginning 25 January. Part 2 of the Bill proposes to relax the rules on what can be published by the media about family proceedings in addition to the media's observing such proceedings in court.

The Interdisciplinary Alliance represents all the key children's organisations in the field of family justice and came together because of concerns about media access to family courts. The Alliance is in favour of greater openness in family courts but considers there are ways of achieving that without putting vulnerable children and families at risk. The Alliance has serious concerns about the Bill in relation both to the reporting of family proceedings by the media and the lack of proper prior public consultation on the proposals.

Download full briefing paper