Britain faces family court 'secrecy' investigation

Family courts in Great Britain and Northern Ireland are facing an investigation by Europe into secrecy in the system, the Times reports.

Recent allegations have said reporting restrictions and controlled entry to courts can allow miscarriages of justice and mean children can be removed from their parents unnecessarily.

The newspaper has been running a campaign against the practices, saying that opponents of the privacy rules allow judges to follow the views of social workers, without taking proper account of the best choices for the child.

Matters discussed by solicitors and judges in family courts include where a child will live, when they will see their parents, who is responsible for them and who will pay for the child.

According to the Ministry of Justice, while media organisations seek entry into family courts to improve transparency, children and those that look after them are concerned with protecting their privacy.

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