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18 October 2007 / Donna Whitehead
Issue: 7293 / Categories: Features , Family
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Family portraits

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What is legally recognised as a “family” today?
Donna Whitehead reports

The image of the traditional family, encompassing a heterosexual married couple and their children, is often captured in family portraits. The reality of family life today, however, is very different. At the recent Labour Party conference, prime minister Gordon Brown said that he stood for a Britain that supports all families, and during his first speech as leader of the Labour Party, he indicated his intention to strengthen family life.

CHANGING FACE OF FAMILY LIFE

If a person is asked to list members of their family, they might identify those to whom they are genetically related. Equally they may consider their family to be those who live in the same household, despite the lack of any genetic link. They may include individuals whom they support financially or emotionally, irrespective of genetics or residence. These assorted groups are more likely today to be recognised as a family unit.

In terms of demographics, the Office for National Statistics has recently reported in Families—Focus on Families that

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NEWS
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NLJ this week: Surrogacy children caught in succession gap
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
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Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
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A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
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A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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