The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has issued an updated Practice Direction extending the family court transparency pilot to all family courts in England and Wales from 25 January 2027. Under the pilot — which began in 2023 in a small number of courts — accredited journalists and legal bloggers are permitted to attend and report on most private family law proceedings, including child arrangements hearings, financial remedy proceedings, and most cases involving children in care. This marks a significant shift from the near-total privacy that has historically characterised family proceedings in England and Wales.
What can be reported: Journalists may report on what is said in hearings and what orders are made. They may not, however, publish information that identifies: any child involved in the proceedings; the address of any child or parent; or any party who is a victim of domestic abuse. Judges retain the power to exclude journalists from individual hearings where publication would be contrary to the interests of justice or the welfare of a child. The default position has changed — hearings are now open to accredited reporters unless excluded, rather than closed unless opened.
Why this matters: Family courts have long been criticised for making consequential decisions about children and families in conditions of near-total secrecy, making it impossible for the public to scrutinise the quality of judicial decision-making or identify patterns of injustice. The transparency pilot is intended to address this while maintaining the anonymity of children and vulnerable parties. Early evaluations of the pilot have been broadly positive.
What this means for parties: If you are a party to family proceedings, an accredited journalist may attend your hearing. You should tell your solicitor if you are concerned about the presence of journalists. Parties themselves are still prohibited from disclosing information about the proceedings to the public under the Administration of Justice Act 1960 and the Children Act 1989. If you believe a journalist has identified your child or published prohibited information, report it to the court immediately. See the child arrangements order guide and the mediation article for related family law guidance.