Torture Inquiry Conflict of Interest Complaint

I think I’m missing something. I’ve read a couple of pieces online and in the papers about the complaint by Reprieve that Sir Peter Gibson should recuse himself from the torture inquiry on the basis that his former involvement in the oversight of the intelligence services as Intelligence Services Commissioner puts him in a conflicted [...]

Super Supreme – Slicing the Pizza

The Guardian today reports that the Supreme Court would have to close if it were to face a 40% cut in spending. The Chief Executive said yesterday on the first anniversary of the court: ‘As 62% of our costs are genuinely fixed, a 40% cut causes us some problems. We couldn’t actually deal with any [...]

Secrecy

Can I recommend you read this blog post from Heather Brooke about court secrecy. Not about family proceedings, but interesting and thought provoking nonetheless… And also interesting is her take on The Times paywall, which I have yet to fully grapple with, although I am going to have to do so in the next 29 [...]

Family Justice Review

Further to my previous post, I am en route back to the sticks having thrown my two penn’orth in the general direction of the Family Justice Review Panel (I got ‘em, right between the eyes). I was somewhat surprised to find that the session was ‘private’ (and apparently not recorded), and so I will not [...]

Family Justice Review

On Wednesday the Family Justice Review will be taking evidence from the Family Law Bar Association, Association of Lawyers for Children, Law Society and Resolution. I will be hotfooting it from Swansea to Paddington in order to attend, along with Stephen Cobb QC, on behalf of the FLBA. It promises to be an interesting session, [...]

Sign of the Times

Damn, I’ve just had to swallow my principles and subscribe to The Times online. Really needed to see something and couldn’t get to it without. Your agent will report from the inside in due course…

The Tale of Piglings not-so-Bland

Apologies for the recent downturn. Here’s a little something to entertain. To quote that well known legal pundit Homer Simpson: ‘Doh!’ Back blogging soon I promise. Kisses x

Court of Protection Secrecy Challenged by Press

The Guardian posts an interesting piece about the Court of Protection and quite serious unlawful conduct by a Local Authority towards a vulnerable young man in their care: breach of right left right and centre and unlawful imprisonment. The Press Association understandably want to report on this and identify the Local Authority in question, but [...]

Hershman Levy Memorial Lecture – Munby LJ on Transparency

Lord Justice Munby recently delivered the annual Hershman Levy Lecture on the topic of Transparency and the Children Schools and Families Act 2010, in which he referred to my recent article in Family Law, republished here. You can read the lecture here on the Association of Lawyers for Children website (I’ve downloaded it here: HERSHMAN_LEVY_MEMORIAL_LECTURE_2010, as [...]

Just one more V important thing…Family Justice Review

Ministerial Statement to the House The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Jonathan Djanogly): My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Education, the Minister with responsibility for children and families, the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) and I wish to make the following statement to the House about our [...]