Plans stall on allowing media access to medical reports in family court cases

The UK government has deferred controversial plans to allow the media access to medical reports in family court cases after an outcry from paediatricians, psychiatrists, lawyers, and children’s groups.

Ministers had planned to legislate for the move—as the second phase of opening up the family courts—in a new Children, Schools and Families Bill.

Accredited media have been allowed into the family courts since last April and have been able to report the gist of cases without identifying children or families, but journalists complained that hearings were meaningless unless they could see expert reports.

As a compromise the bill places …