Family

Desmond Browne QC reviews the state of the profession in 2009 

Calls for greater transparency in the family justice system have been heeded: the media will be able to access and report legal proceedings in all levels of family courts, following Justice Secretary Jack Straw’s announcement last month. Parties cannot be named, but there should be no restriction on naming social workers or medical experts unless it could lead to the identification of the parties, Straw told the Times. Courts will be able to restrict or relax reporting rules if an individual case allows this.
  

Cuts in legal aid fees for family cases and a “massive” hike in court fees could put vulnerable children at increased risk, Desmond Browne QC, the 2009 chair of the Bar Council, has warned. 

Family lawyers group Resolution is warning of a “post-code lottery” on child contact, following new powers for courts to order contact activities. Under s 1 of the Adoption and Children Act 2006, judges can order parents to attend mediation, workshops or abuse prevention programmes but there is a “disturbing lack of clarity” about what is available.