Spotlight
Court of Protection Practice 2024
'Court of Protection Practice goes from strength to strength, having...
Jackson's Matrimonial Finance Tenth Edition
Jackson's Matrimonial Finance is an authoritative specialist text...
Spotlight
Latest articlesrss feeds
When two worlds collide: the 1970 Hague Evidence Convention and the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention
Dr Onyója Momoh, Barrister, 5 Pump Court ChambersMost will agree that the relationship between the 1980 and 1996 Hague Conventions is a match made in heaven. However, the intersection between the 1970...
Familial relationships following a traditional surrogacy arrangement
Mary Welstead, Visiting Professor in Family law University of BuckinghamIn January 2024, Theis J declined to discharge a child arrangements order for contact between a surrogate mother and a...
Practical enforcement
James Snelus, No 5 ChambersA look at some of the problems that can be encountered when enforcing financial remedy orders.  The article is not a comprehensive overview. It briefly considers how to...
Cremation and the family: some burning issues
Andrew Bainham, Emeritus Reader in Family Law and Policy, University of CambridgeIn this article the author considers the law and practice surrounding modern cremation and the cremation aspects...
Changes to cost limits for Child Abduction and Wardship
Cost Update for Child Abduction and WardshipWhen reviewing current costs limitation for Child Abduction and Wardship it has been agreed following consultation and feedback that the cost limit for the...
View all articles
Authors

Sir Andrew McFarlane provides national guidance on COVID-19

Apr 6, 2020, 07:50 AM
Title : Sir Andrew McFarlane provides national guidance on COVID-19
Slug :
Meta Keywords :
Canonical URL :
Trending Article : Yes
Prioritise In Trending Articles : Yes
Check Copyright Text : No
Date : Apr 6, 2020, 07:50 AM
Article ID :

Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division and Head of Family Justice, released new guidance on COVID-19, which is "intended to be followed with immediate effect by all levels of the Family Court and in the High Court Family Division", which is intended to "keep business going safely".

The guidance says:

"There is a strong public interest in the Family Justice System continuing to function as normally as possible despite the present pandemic. At the same time, in accordance with government guidance, there is a need for all reasonable and sensible precautions to be taken to prevent infection and, in particular, to avoid non-essential personal contact."


The guidance says that that the the government guidance is primarily aimed at the social setting, rather than the business/work environment. It acknowledges that, depending on the circumstances there may be the need, and no harm involved, in having a number of people present in court for an oral hearing.

The guidance says: "Taking these competing factors together, whilst the default position should be that, for the time being, all Family Court hearings should be undertaken remotely either via email, telephone, video or Skype, etc [‘remote hearing’], where the requirements of fairness and justice require a court-based hearing, and it is safe to conduct one, then a court-based hearing should take place."

You can read the rules here.

Categories :
  • News
Tags :
  • coronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • Family court
Authors
Provider :
Product Bucket : Family Law (General)