Publication

Until April 2009, cases in family courts involving children were usually heard in private in order to protect the identity of the children concerned. Reporting on such cases was very limited. The provisions requiring such privacy attracted considerable criticism. Following calls for the press and public to be allowed to attend family proceedings, and also for the relaxation of reporting restrictions, changes were made to court rules, effective from April 2009. New regulations enable duly accredited media representatives (but not the wider public) to attend certain family proceedings held in private, subject to a power for the court to direct their exclusion.