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Report into remote hearings during lockdown published
A ‘rapid consultation’ into the effectiveness of remote hearings in the family courts has been published by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. Remote hearings via video conferencing software or telephone became the default after social distancing measures began in March. Over 1,000 respondents submitted their views and experiences over two weeks in April, including legal and social work professionals, parents... more >
Family Division President rules out remote hearing in complex family case
The case against a mother suspected of abusing her child must be held in person, the President of the Family Division has declared. Re P (A Child: Remote Hearing) [2020] EWFC 32 concerned a mother suspected by her local authority of fabricating or inducing illness in the child, a practice known as ‘Munchhausen Syndrome by Proxy’ or more formally, ‘Factitious Disorder... more >
Supreme Court Justice Retires
Veteran Supreme Court Judge Lord Wilson of Culworth has retired after reaching his 75th birthday. Lord Nicholas Wilson had served on the Supreme Court for nine years, after a distinguished 40-year legal career as a barrister and judge, including more than a decade sitting in the Family Division of the High Court. Due to the current pandemic restrictions, his fellow... more >
Northern Ireland to roll out remote family hearings
Judges in Northern Ireland will begin hearing uncontentious family cases remotely from next week, the most senior judge in the Province has announced. Remote court hearings are conducted via telephone or video conferencing software. Sir Declan Morgan, the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, said the move marked the beginning of a "gradual and incremental" increase in the number of... more >
Couple’s foreign marriage should be annulled, family court rules
A woman born in the Philippines cannot divorce her husband because their marriage was bigamous, a family court judge has ruled. The hearing, conducted remotely via Skype, concerned a couple who married in the Philippines in 2005 before later moving to the UK. The wife filed for divorce in July 2018. The husband countered, later the same year, with a... more >
Family courts operating online
Since the prohibition placed on public gatherings on March 23, the family courts have begun to operate on a remote basis. Unless there is a good reason not to do so, all hearings will now take place via video conference or telephone, while document and information exchange is undertaken via email. But this approach cannot come “at the expense of... more >