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President of Family Division publishes final guidance on reporting in Family Courts

 The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has issued the final version of his guidance regarding reporting in the Family Courts.

The President had released draft guidance for consultation in May this year.

This followed an appeal in the matter of Re R (A Child) (Reporting Restrictions) [2019] EWCA 482 Civ heard on 15 February 2019.

The Judiciary website said: “The guidance is issued in order to assist the court, parties and media in circumstances where a reporter attending court may wish to apply to vary reporting restrictions in a case heard before the Family Court or the Family Division of the High Court, and provides step by step guidance for the approach to be taken in this context.”

It covers:

  • Reporting in the Family Courts;
  • Publication of judgments;
  • Guidance on the approach to take to applications by journalists to vary or lift automatic reporting restrictions.

A copy of the final guidance can be viewed here.