New legislation will be introduced in the coming weeks to allow for greater transparency in family law cases, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said today.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week programme, the minister said the in-camera rule which prevents journalists from reporting on family law and child care cases was an issue he had been concerned with "for the best part of 20 years".
While the in-camera rule was “hugely important” to protect the privacy and anonymity of families who come before the courts in disputes over childcare or custody issues, Mr Shatter said the secrecy surrounding family law cases was leading to suspicion and “greater transparency” was needed.
“The general public don’t really see or understand how family law is administered in practice, [and] there are some people… who are suspicious of about the fact that the courts are in secret,” he said.
“It is terribly important that people who need help through family law remedies or where there is a concern about the welfare of a child that the courts because of publicity don’t present a barrier to important assistance being obtained. But there is a balance.”
The minister said legislation amending the in-camera rule would be published “in the coming weeks”.
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