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The nuance between forensic probabilities and possibilities – paediatric gonorrhoea and fomite transmission

© Copyright LexisNexis 2025. All rights reserved.
Date:2 DEC 2025
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Avaia Williams, Barrister, Parklane Plowden Chambers

Family judges decide facts on the balance of probabilities: either it happened or it did not. There is no third box labelled “might have”. In cases of paediatric gonorrhoea, however, courts have at times elevated a theoretical mechanism, “fomite” transmission, into a decisive alternative.

This article explores why that slip from possibility into probability is concerning, what F and B (Fact-Finding: Gonorrhoea) [2025] EWCA Civ 340 teaches about avoiding the trap, and how to handle expert evidence that trades in non-binaries within a court system that does not.

The full article has published in the December issue of Family Law.  Find out more or request a free 1-week trial of Family Law journal. Please quote: 100482

Read the full article here.

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