Sara Sharif appeal highlights the need to balance open justice and privacy in the family courts
Partner Deborah Jeff comments on the appeal of the ban on naming the judges who oversaw proceedings related to the care of Sara Sharif before she was murdered, and its implications for open justice and privacy in the family courts, in Solicitors Journal.
"This appeal continues the natural tension between open justice in the Family Courts and the need for privacy in certain family cases and circumstances.
"Normally, the priority in such debates is protecting the identity of the child and family members. This case is different; the child’s identity and that of her family is well known and instead the court must decide whether the identity of the previous judges involved in the case in the Family Court can be publicly shared. The Courts will wish to consider carefully how the potential risk to the personal safety of the judges involved in the case competes with the expectation of open family justice.
"The appeal is timely. The Family Court Reporting Pilot that has been trialled since January 2023 will be applied nationally from 27 January this year, meaning that journalists and legal bloggers will be able to report on what they hear in court provided a transparency order is made."
Deborah’s comments were published in Solicitors Journal, 16 January 2025.
