By Amanda Hill and Claire Martin (with acknowledgment of significant input and support from Celia Kitzinger) Update 26 May 2025: The application to vary the reporting restrictions was successful and a judgment, [2025] EWCOP 16 (T3), was published on the National Archives Friday 23 May 2025. We will blog about the hearing to vary theContinue reading “Draconian reporting restrictions (now lifted) in a contempt of court case: Severing continuity between judgments”
Tag Archives: Transparency
District Judge Weir thanks a Sheffield City Council social worker for her “enthusiasm and passion”
By Daniel Clark, 4th April 2025 The person at the centre of this case, who I’ll refer to as J, is a man in his 30s with a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. On several occasions he has been detained in hospital pursuant to the Mental Health Act 1983, and he now resides in what soundedContinue reading “District Judge Weir thanks a Sheffield City Council social worker for her “enthusiasm and passion””
Judge approves statutory will in contested hearing
By Celia Kitzinger, 27th March 2025 “This is one of the most clear-cut cases I’ve seen. You have provided support, community and love to somebody in the times they really needed it. I want to acknowledge, on behalf of this court, the job you have done and continue to do”. That’s what the judge saidContinue reading “Judge approves statutory will in contested hearing”
Two years on, P is still missing: Judge refuses application to conclude proceedings, holds proceedings partly in private, and issues injunction with penal notice against mother
By Amanda Hill, with contribution from Tim Sugden and Celia Kitzinger, 26th March 2025 The protected party in this case, “P”, is a woman in her early twenties, with diagnoses of autism, ADHD, behavioural difficulties and limited communication skills. Her mother took her to Jamaica in February 2023 “seemingly to evade the involvement of social careContinue reading “Two years on, P is still missing: Judge refuses application to conclude proceedings, holds proceedings partly in private, and issues injunction with penal notice against mother”
“I’m making these orders not for my own amusement, but for P”: Judge admonishes professionals over “disappointing” failures
I observed the judge’s surprise and exasperation at the lack of progress in HMB’s case as performing a function of delegitimising and ‘calling out’ the situation…. Hearing such disapproval from someone exercising the authority of the court (in open court) felt like a powerful counter to such tacit social legitimisation that I wish more of society could (or would) hear.
Feeling foolish and frustrated: How I failed to observe an RCJ hearing due to an uncorrected listing error
By Amanda Hill, 23rd March 2025 I was excited to be travelling to London to observe an in-person hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ) as part of my research with Cardiff University. This would be my third time observing in person at the RCJ and I was beginning to feel as though I knewContinue reading “Feeling foolish and frustrated: How I failed to observe an RCJ hearing due to an uncorrected listing error”
Correcting judicial mistakes: HHJ Robertshaw’s transparency order
By Celia Kitzinger, 16th March 2025 Everybody makes mistakes sometimes. Even judges. Some mistakes can be inconsequential: a typo, a bit of grammar that doesn’t make sense, paragraphs wrongly numbered. I’m not complaining about mistakes like that, what someone on X described (in response to my complaints) as “dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s”.Continue reading “Correcting judicial mistakes: HHJ Robertshaw’s transparency order”
Contempt of court proceedings: Are they transparent?
By Celia Kitzinger, 9th March 2025 This is an expanded and updated version of part of the submission I made on behalf of the Open Justice Court of Protection Project to the Ministry of Justice Law Commission Consultation on contempt of court. I plan to publish the other parts of my submission in a separateContinue reading “Contempt of court proceedings: Are they transparent?”
Response to the Transparency and Open Justice Board proposed “key objectives”
By Celia Kitzinger, 3rd March 2025 The Transparency and Open Justice Board recently sought views on the Board’s proposed key objectives. The Board was created in April 2024 by the Lady Chief Justice, who said that it would “…set objectives for all Courts and Tribunals, focussing on timely and effective access in terms of listing, documents and publicContinue reading “Response to the Transparency and Open Justice Board proposed “key objectives””
A young man failed by NHS South West London ICB and the London Borough of Wandsworth
Working in the health service, I often hear families’ concerns or reasonable complaints framed as them being ‘anxious’ about their loved one’s care. I think it can be a manoeuvre to delegitimise their (often perfectly reasonable) concerns and belittle their status as a full participant. Conversely, I don’t hear the word ‘anxious’ being used about powerful professionals when they speak up or raise concerns.
Promoting Open Justice in the Court of Protection 