Care proceedings and contact and residence cases are to be published online for the first time, in a pilot scheme in Leeds and Cardiff.
Care proceedings and contact and residence cases are to be published online for the first time, in a pilot scheme in Leeds and Cardiff.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) pilot, launched this week, will run for 12 months. It aims to help inform the media and public on how family justice works.
The online judgments will be anonymous to protect the identities of the families involved. The families themselves will receive a copy of the judgment. The MoJ is also considering retaining copies of judgments for children involved in the case to read when they are older.
The MoJ says publication will be encouraged where either parent is given leave to remove a child from the UK; the final order prohibits direct contact between a child and either or both parents; the court has to decide between differing medical or expert witnesses; or contested adoption applications.
