Justice Secretary calls for review of transparency in Court of Protection

The Justice Secretary has asked the President of the Family Division to review the transparency of proceedings in the Court of Protection.

In a letter to Sir James Munby, Chris Grayling wrote: “We have already agreed there is a need for greater openness in the family courts, with the intention that we make progress on this as soon as possible in order to ensure public confidence in the Single Family Court on its creation.

“I welcome the work you are carrying out to consider with us what progress can be made via rules of court and guidance, which will further the public understanding of family proceedings, whilst also respecting the right to privacy of vulnerable individuals and children in particular.”

The Justice Secretary continued: “As you will be aware, the issue of transparency in the Court of Protection has also recently attracted media attention. While we want to ensure that we balance the interests of safeguarding vulnerable adults with those of increasing the transparency of proceedings, I would welcome your views on how we might best achieve this.
 
“Therefore, I would like to invite you to consider if you might extend the scope of your work on transparency in the family courts to include arrangements for the Court of Protection.”