Despite new transparency rules, most family court hearings remain unreported as journalists struggle to find newsworthy cases and families cannot alert the media to their stories. Sign your newsroom up to a service that aspires to change that
A new initiative, Courting Coverage, has launched to address the persistent lack of media reporting on family court hearings in England and Wales.
The project, developed by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), seeks to connect journalists with individuals who want their cases covered, aiming to break down barriers that have kept most family court proceedings out of the public eye.
Recent transparency powers have granted accredited journalists and legal bloggers greater access to family courts, including the ability to attend hearings, access documents, and quote participants under anonymity.
TBIJ has made use of these powers, launching its Family Court Files project spearheaded by its reporter Hannah Summers, informing new guidance to protect victims of domestic abuse, prompting a ban on the use of unregulated experts, winning permission to name a serial rapist and revealing how abusers are using “parental alienation”, a controversial pseudoscience, to turn the tables on their victims.
