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Courts: Family Cases

I am pleased to inform noble Lords that I have today laid before Parliament a further consultation paper on Confidence and confidentiality: Openness in Family Courts - a new approach (Cm 7131). It is available on the department's website at: www.justice.gov.uk/publications/consultations.htm. Since publishing our initial proposals in 2006, we have reflected on the best ways of making the culture of family courts more open, while maintaining the privacy of those involved, especially children. We have listened to what people said in response to our original proposals. We have decided a new approach is needed which focuses not on who may go into family courts, but on the information which comes out. The consultation paper sets out our intention to take forward proposals that were widely welcomed by responses to the previous consultation paper, and consults on further proposals.