By Amanda Hill, 12th February 2026 I am the daughter of a protected party in the Court of Protection. I can say that because at a hearing in March 2025, HHJ Murch approved my application to vary the Transparency Order covering my mum’s case, so that I could be identified as a family member ofContinue reading “How to vary the duration of a Transparency Order from “until further order of the court” to “until the death of P”: My family’s Court of Protection story continued”
Tag Archives: Open Justice
“This cannot be allowed to carry on”: A non-compliance hearing with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB
According to the OS, there had been “a disagreement between the parties” about whether or not the court ought to make that order in the first place (the ICB wanted instead to focus only on whether and how improvements could be made to JH’s current home) – so it rather looks as though the ICB has simply failed to comply with an order they don’t like.
P removed to residential care due to father’s non-compliance with orders for renal dialysis
P enjoys much of his life, his sports and his social time. His wishes and feelings are to live – but while living at home with his father he’s not been attending dialysis sessions regularly – despite a court order that his father must take him. Father remains in denial of the necessity for treatment and P’s high potassium levels could lead to early death.
Appealing a Court of Protection judgment
This post offers a basic introduction to Court of Protection appeals. It covers (1) the general principles that govern appeals and why appeals fail at an early stage (2) the procedure for making an appeal and some common reasons and (3) some alternatives to an appeal.
Unfair judicial criticism of observers is bad for transparency
I’m not immune from criticism, here. What I thought were my reasonable efforts to get clarity about whether this hearing was going ahead, and then my further attempts to get the link, seem to have created problems for HMCTS staff. Those miscommunications and misunderstandings swirled around a judge who probably didn’t even have time for a cup of tea between hearings. It wasn’t my intention to exacerbate those stresses and, in future, I’ll just send any and all correspondence direct to the hub. That’s what I’ve learnt from this experience. I hope there’s some judicial learning from this experience, too.
What’s the difference between a barrister and a solicitor (and a legal executive)?
By Lucy Reed, 21st January 2026 Barristers, solicitors and legal executives are all lawyers, but they are different types of lawyers. There are many similarities and many differences. One is not ‘better’, more experienced or more senior than the other. They have quite different training and expertise and do different types of legal work. The system thatContinue reading “What’s the difference between a barrister and a solicitor (and a legal executive)?”
Successful application to disapply Section 12(1) of the Administration of Justice Act: Making Polly’s statutory will application public
If Polly had been through her car crash and hospital treatment and recovered sufficiently to analyse and present what had happened to her, then we believe she would have told her own story publicly. The thought that a court reporting restriction would have left Polly beside herself with rage.
Response to the Online Procedure Rule Committee
Celia Kitzinger on behalf of the Open Justice Court of Protection Project, 17th January 2026 This is our response to the Online Procedure Rule Committee consultation about the Core Rules and Pilot Schemes 2026. There was very little about transparency and open justice in these rules. We responded solely on that matter. More information aboutContinue reading “Response to the Online Procedure Rule Committee”
Suspended prison sentence for unrepresented defendant – who is “entitled to disagree but not to disobey”
“The court said what needed to be done. You disagreed. You’re entitled to disagree but you’re not entitled to disobey the court order which is what you’re alleged to have done.” (HHJ Burrows)
Sisters in dispute about how best to care for their mother
By Jenny Kitzinger, 11th January 2026 Caring for aging parents who have declining physical and mental capacity can lead to family conflict. There may be different understandings of what the parent wants or needs (and how to balance independence and risk) and different views on likely future deterioration. This can be compounded by disputes aboutContinue reading “Sisters in dispute about how best to care for their mother”
Promoting Open Justice in the Court of Protection 