Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice
Prevent family courts and social services making decisions based on hearsay
Closed
889 signatures
What the petition asks
At present social services and courts can take decisions about family matters based on hearsay, which is not normally admissible as evidence. This means that families can be torn apart based solely on hearsay.
The Government should change the law to prevent social services and family courts being able to rely on hearsay when making decisions about family matters.
Timeline
| 14 May 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 14 Nov 2020 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
889
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
14 May 2020
Closed
14 Nov 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.