Right to Equality’s Report on Ending the Presumption of Contact in Family Courts

Part one of a four part blog post series by journalist Lara Feigel. Lara shares her experience of a week spent in the London family courts as part of a new pilot scheme to improve transparency and reporting on family court cases.

Joanna Ong examines the profound societal and legal challenges victims face in seeking justice. Despite international human rights protections, cultural norms often privatise sexual violence, allowing perpetrators to evade accountability with the support of “implicated subjects”—those close to the abuser who defend their reputation. Ong…

Banging Heads Together and Making Things Go Away

Guest blog by Anna Smith*, a former magistrate, who writes on her experiences during the training process.

The Magistrates’ Association’s comment, written by Tracy Sortwell, Chair of the Magistrates’ Association’s Family Court Committee, can be found at the conclusion…

Read Right to Equality’s Briefing on Amendments to the Victim’s Bill. We were pleased to contribute to this work and wholeheartedly call on our government to implement these changes to benefit survivors.

Read the OpEd by Louise Tickle and Hannah Summers discussing how the family court does not understand abuse. First published in the December 2023 edition of the Family Law Bar Association magazine, Family Affairs

Read Louise Tickle’s guest blog post for Right to Equality detailing the recent work undertaken to expose a biased judge and maintain accountability in the court.

In celebration of Trans Awareness Week, join us in discussing why feminism is, and must continue to be, trans-inclusive!

We have written to the Family Justice Council in response to their recent Draft Guidance on Responding to allegations of alienating behaviour! We submitted suggestions for revisions to the draft and outlined our concerns with the continued use of ‘alienating behaviours’. Read the summary here…

Introduction

The presumption of contact or pro-contact culture is the belief that children benefit from having contact with both of their parents. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that, far too often, the presumption of contact that is prioritised in family court proceedings can have…

The UK has introduced Daisy’s Law, an amendment to the Victims Bill, recognizing and providing support for children born of rape. Inspired by Daisy’s own story, the law acknowledges these individuals as victims and represents a significant stride towards a more compassionate society.

The rule of law is a legal concept that has been in existence for centuries, and it has long been seen as a patriarchal notion. The rule of law is defined as the principle that all persons and government officials are subject to…

Misogyny in the legal system is an endemic problem that continues to affect individuals and society at large. Despite progress in recent years, the legal system remains largely unresponsive to the needs of women. In many cases, it is even complicit in perpetuating…