Hunters Partner Hazel Wright comments in The Sunday Times Magazine on secrecy issues of family courts and the recent high-profile case of Rebecca Minnock, and the judge’s unconventional decision to name both parents and child involved in the case:
“The judge in Minnock’s case didn’t take the highly unusual step of naming her because she had made false accusations, but because she breached the order to hand Ethan over to his father. The order to hand Ethan over was made in private, but committal hearings — where magistrates decide whether a trial should go ahead — are in public. The secrecy issue is so difficult. It’s horrendous for the falsely accused, an utter nightmare, but personally I think there’s a real risk to children’s mental and emotional health and safety in opening up the courts.”
Read the full article in The Sunday Times Magazine here.
