Open court

Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, and Sir James Munby, President of the Family Division, have issued guidance following the Court of Protection’s imprisonment of Wanda Maddocks for contempt after she disobeyed court orders relating to the care of her 80-year-old father. The guidance reminds judges that applications for committal for contempt should be listed and heard and decided in open court. It advises that if a court decides to sit in private, it should first give a judgment in public setting out the reasons for doing so.