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25 January 2023
Issue: 8010 / Categories: Legal News , Procedure & practice , Media , Family
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MPs encouraged to attend court

Family judges will invite local MPs to attend court, the government has said in its response to the Justice Committee report, ‘Open justice: court reporting in the digital age’.

The report, published in November, found reporting of local court cases to have largely ceased due to the decline of local newspapers and pressures of the 24-hour news cycle. Thus, justice was no longer being seen to be done.

Responding last week, the government said MPs will be encouraged to attend court, including family courts, to observe proceedings, while listing information will be made available to the public and media in one place to make courts more accessible.

It also pledged to develop and publish a charter for the public that summarises current rules on public access to court and tribunal hearings. View the full response here.

Issue: 8010 / Categories: Legal News , Procedure & practice , Media , Family
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Cripps—Radius Law

Cripps—Radius Law

Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire

Switalskis—Grimsby

Switalskis—Grimsby

Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments

NEWS
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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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