Warring couples can no longer rely on their children's anonymity as they go through divorce courts, according to Birmingham lawyer Carla MacLeod.
A landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal has ended the automatic ban on identifying children in family cases.
Ms MacLeod welcomed the move which will, she says, bring greater transparency to family courts procedures and help rebut claims of 'secret justice'.
In one case, Families Needs Fathers activist Simon Clayton, who spent more than three years in dispute with his former wife Aneta over contact with their ten year-old daughter, was granted the right to discuss the case publicly. However, the judge made it clear where publicity could work to a child's detriment the courts would continue to rule in favour of anonymity.
Ms MacLeod said: "Lack of transparency has left the family courts hard to defend and this ruling means an important step towards making them more accountable when it comes to decisions about the welfare of children.
"While there may be fears in some quarters information considered titillating may be brought into the public domain, judges presiding over family cases involving children will be required to balance concerns about anonymity with those of freedom of expression for the parents."
