Yesterday in one of Britain’s national newspapers, there
was a horrifying article which names children following a custody battle in the
civil courts and provides pictures of them and discusses all kinds of family
details in a lurid tabloid sort of way.
I’m not going to provide a link to it, or name the paper in
question, because that would be like re-publishing it.
I think it is shocking that this sort of article can appear
in any newspaper, let alone a mass circulation one. I opposed easing reporting
restrictions in the Family Courts. But I have had to accept that I was on the
loosing side of that debate, in which those in favour pointed to all kinds of
safeguards that they said would prevent individual families and children being identified
and children’s rights to privacy being flouted.
I think those who so cheerily sought to ‘open up’ the family
courts should now take stock and revisit the issue because this type of article
has the potential to ruin children’s lives.
