Very little is said about the facts and about the parties in all this, and I support the reasons for that. But Having been involved personally in a case with similar difficulties as those disclosed, I can see no valid reason for press interest when for some centuries we have enjoyed effective and impartial Law Reporting. Judges are perfectly able to resolve the truth without pressure from press involvement. That’s my opinion.
In the normal course of events, this case would never have found its way into the law reports.
As Lieven suggested in a passage I quoted, one reason why family judges want cases like this to be reported Is that the family courts are under huge, but unnoticed, pressure. They are unlikely to get the resources they need if they continue to work below the radar.
For Reform to be delivered effectively, it has to be sown into the fabric of the system. Rules and PD are the foundation but are not sufficient. They need to be understood, practised and the tools must be effective to work efficiently. The Transparency Pilot looks like a systemic way to deliver effective change. I hope all Judges have the opportunity to learn and apply it in the near future. My greater hope is that we have the journalists able to report upon it based upon prior notice or descriptions of hearings and prompt access to relevant material.
You are right to be concerned about the dearth of traditional journalists. To some extent, the gap is being filled by bloggers. That said, Haigh's handling of the case may have encouraged more people to take an interest in reporting cases such as this — which is probably not what the judge had intended.
Very little is said about the facts and about the parties in all this, and I support the reasons for that. But Having been involved personally in a case with similar difficulties as those disclosed, I can see no valid reason for press interest when for some centuries we have enjoyed effective and impartial Law Reporting. Judges are perfectly able to resolve the truth without pressure from press involvement. That’s my opinion.
Thanks for your comments, Graham.
In the normal course of events, this case would never have found its way into the law reports.
As Lieven suggested in a passage I quoted, one reason why family judges want cases like this to be reported Is that the family courts are under huge, but unnoticed, pressure. They are unlikely to get the resources they need if they continue to work below the radar.
For Reform to be delivered effectively, it has to be sown into the fabric of the system. Rules and PD are the foundation but are not sufficient. They need to be understood, practised and the tools must be effective to work efficiently. The Transparency Pilot looks like a systemic way to deliver effective change. I hope all Judges have the opportunity to learn and apply it in the near future. My greater hope is that we have the journalists able to report upon it based upon prior notice or descriptions of hearings and prompt access to relevant material.
You are right to be concerned about the dearth of traditional journalists. To some extent, the gap is being filled by bloggers. That said, Haigh's handling of the case may have encouraged more people to take an interest in reporting cases such as this — which is probably not what the judge had intended.