Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice

Family court proceedings to be public

Closed 177 signatures

What the petition asks

Require all family court proceedings to be public, making proceedings and judgements more accountable and transparent.
Many of those attending family court proceedings have expressed dissatisfaction with family court proceedings and we believe proceedings should be public for transparency and accountability. A recent Channel 4 survey found 70% of parents who responded were unhappy with proceedings and thousands of parents felt the judge was actively hostile towards them. The law for proceedings to be private is 61 years old.

Timeline

5 Aug 2021 Petition opened for signatures
5 Feb 2022 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 177
Status Closed
Department Ministry of Justice
Opened 5 Aug 2021
Closed 5 Feb 2022

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.