The Transparency Project

new guide published for litigants in person on court bundles - to accompany a revised practice direction aimed at consistency in compiling documents, across all family courts

Two recent publications are relevant to litigants in person (LiPs) in family courts who are conducting their own case without being represented by a lawyer. The first one is important because it is guidance that a LiP will need to follow. The second... https://transparencyproject.org.uk/?p=30582

QLRs – what do the published judgments tell us? Since judgments arising from the Family Court are not routinely published, what we see in them isn’t necessarily representative of patterns within the Family Court as a whole. But they are on…

QLRs - what do the published judgments tell us? pinktape.co.uk/uncategorize...

now corrected. That somehow dropped out of our collated links. It's there now. Thanks for pointing this out

will check and amend - apologies!

new Family Court Reporting Watch for February

Welcome to the Roundup, where we correct, clarify and comment on media reports of family law, explain and comment on published family court judgments, and highlight other transparency news. MEDIA COVERAGE OF FAMILY LAW, TRANSPARENCY etc The big story... https://transparencyproject.org.uk/?p=30546

Family's anger as police want secrecy in gross misconduct hearing 'In our experience, anything the force does not want broadcast is kept out of the public eye'

A family who uncovered evidence of racism, misogyny and potential corruption at Gwent Police have criticised plans for a gross misconduct hearing to be held partly in secret.

"Anything the force does not want broadcast is kept out of the public eye."

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

Spider-Man, Zendaya and the Prenup that might not save them This is a guest post by Salomé Ashenden. Salomé is a law graduate preparing for practice at the Bar. She holds a MSc in Science Communication from Imperial College London and has experience... https://transparencyproject.org.uk/?p=30533

This was a case I very much wanted to see publicly discussed. The young person I acted for had been failed by the family court system at every stage. He suffered avoidable harm as a result & wanted his experiences to be listened to. He worried about other children trapped by systemic flaws.

possibly @capacitylaw.bsky.social would have an idea

new Courts Bill includes the repeal of the statutory presumption that it's in children's welfare to maintain relationships with both parents when courts consider post-separation disputes

We last wrote on this topic in October 2025 when Parliament had announced the intention to repeal the controversial presumption when time could be found. A review of the presumption found that it contributed to a perception of a pro-contact culture,... https://transparencyproject.org.uk/?p=30519

Analysis of the implications of Re Y (Experts and Alienating Behaviour) by @familoo.pinktape.co.uk

Last week saw publication of an important judgment from the President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, in a case called Re Y (Experts and Alienating Behaviour: The Modern Approach) [2026] EWFC 38. The case involves now notorious family... https://transparencyproject.org.uk/?p=30489

MoJ scraps policy of destroying court records after seven years: MoJ confirms to academic Brian Thornton that trial records will be kept as long as the prison sentence – possibly indefinitely. A surprising (and belated) victory for the Open Justice Charter thejusticegap.com/open-justice...

A busy few days Unregistered psychologists; jury reforms; football bans; AI; and public office

Family judges should not normally grant permission for expert evidence to be given in children proceedings by an expert ‘psychologist’ who is neither registered not chartered, the president of the High Court family division ruled in a judgment on Friday.

rozenberg.substack.com/p/a-busy-few...

caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewfc/2026/38 Important new judgment on "parental alienation". The President says that every agency was at fault in separating a boy from his mother based on the views of an unqualified "expert"

we watched the Supreme Court hearing on X & Y (setting aside an adoption order) Here's an update

We've written before, (13 May 2021; 12 August 2021) about the very limited circumstances in which an adoption order can be set aside (sometimes described as 'revoked'). The current law is that it is possible for an order to be set aside if the court... https://transparencyproject.org.uk/?p=30430

Having finally caught up with the need to do a story about Inheritance Tax the scriptwriters are making a total mess of it! Don’t seem to have made any attempt to understand the issues. Disappointing #thearchers

UK Gov Legal Dept has written to courtsdesk on behalf of HMCTS/MOJ asking them to pause deletion of their archive

more questions for family courts about "expert" evidence beatrixcampbell.co.uk/melanie-gill... comprehensive analysis by @campbellbeatrix.bsky.social

UK mother separated from children for years has ‘draconian’ order overturned Flawed evidence by psychologist Melanie Gill was used to remove children from woman in 2019

www.theguardian.com/law/2026/feb... by @hansummers.bsky.social also now reported in @theguardian.com Will other cases be reviewed?

A mother whose children were taken by the family court has been vindicated after a 6 yr struggle to have evidence from an unregulated psychologist overturned. The advice of Melanie Gill led to "draconian" orders terminating her relationship with her kids. My report here 👉 tinyurl.com/ypp99rka

Mother vindicated after top judge overturns evidence of parental… Findings based on the evidence of Melanie Gill are thrown out by high court – and could open the door for more of the families affected

Mother vindicated after top judge overturns evidence of… | TBIJ share.google/ToiNe07hdWrp...

www.progress.org.uk/surrogacy-in...

new Control & the Law podcast with Prof. Rosemary Hunter and @jdkc.bsky.social discussing domestic abuse in family courts open.spotify.com/episode/2Vs0...

www.judiciary.uk/related-offi... 5 March FJC annual conference. Bridget Lindley lecture to be given by @lisaharker.bsky.social . Theme is use of AI & technology in family law