Edward Floyd considers the pros & cons of a more transparent family justice system
There is a great deal of momentum towards increasing transparency in the family courts. The government held two consultations in 2006 and 2007, with the most recent findings published on 16 December 2008 in the Ministry of Justice's publication, Family Justice in View. The media has waged a campaign against a system which it alleges consists of secretive proceedings held in private, a lack of accountability for public servants, and an absence of public scrutiny of decisions. This is not a new debate, and the longevity of the discourse may lie in the fact that there is a corresponding and sometimes competing imperative to respect the Art 8 rights of privacy of the individuals involved in family cases.
The Lord Chancellor, Jack Straw, introduced his proposals in his oral address to the House of Commons as “strik[ing] the right balance in providing a more open, transparent and accountable system and while protecting children and families during a difficult and traumatic time in their lives”. While much of the paper dealt with
