The Observer has made cuts to casual shifts amidst a drop in pages for the Sunday title

NEW: A parliamentary group taking money from a state-owned Israeli arms company has closed down whilst being investigated Story by TBIJ and Democracy For Sale (@petergeoghegan.bsky.social) www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has launched its first Family Court Mentoring Programme giving reporters the opportunity to be mentored by Hannah Summers (the UK's first full-time family court reporter). Apply here. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/blog/2025-09...

We did it!! Thank you so much to every single person who donated, your generosity will genuinely keep me going next week ❤️ (And there’s still time to donate if you missed it - every penny helps) www.justgiving.com/page/eve-liv...

📢 Mentoring: At @tbij.bsky.social we are launching a mentorship programme open to both staff and freelance journalists interested in gaining experience and guidance on reporting on the family courts. Full details here 👉 tinyurl.com/42xdkk5b

If you missed it last night, worth catching up with the ITV documentary featuring former MP Kate Kniveton talking about her family court ordeal. A judge made 14 findings including rape against her abusive ex - former Tory minister, Andrew Griffiths. Our @tbij.bsky.social report: tinyurl.com/yckyaszb

Finally read - A LA v X & Y and Others (No4: Welfare and reporting of judgments) [2025] EWFC 126 🤯 Unimaginable cruelty from wealthy professionals who knew the impact of their actions. Abhorrent case. Amazing work from the press.

Thanks @theguardian.com for partnering with us @tbij.bsky.social on my latest family court story. These parents - whose adopted sons were subjected to physical, emotional & racial abuse - applied to exclude me from court to prevent me making arguments for naming them in the public interest.

NEW: A teacher physically assaulted and racially abused their adopted children while their partner - a barrister and family court judge - failed to protect them. Yet the high court has ruled they cannot be named despite a legal bid led by @tbij.bsky.social 🧵 tinyurl.com/56vxe44z

A mother whose rape allegation was wrongly dismissed by the family court has won a High Court bid to write and speak publicly about her ordeal, using an alias. The judge ruled her rights to tell her story in her own words were 'weighty and important'. shorturl.at/zJQmu

I am working with @mellino.bsky.social to uncover the many injustices workers are facing going through employment tribunals. Please help share our callout with your networks (available Polish, Portuguese Punjabi - Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi, Spanish, Romanian and Urdu) ⬇️

NEW: Unregulated experts could be banned from the family courts under newly proposed rules for cases involving children. However, some organisations have told @tbij.bsky.social that the proposal, which is out for public consultation, does not go far enough. 👇 tinyurl.com/2a82h7p8

Here’s to the magnificent Chris Barnes-named as @thetimes.com “Lawyer of The Week’ for his superb work,initially pro bono,on behalf of @louisetickle.bsky.social @hansummers.bsky.social in the CA Sherif decision. Bravo 🙌

One of the most difficult questions facing a family court judge is which parent should have custody of a child. But what happens when the objectivity of independent experts – which judges rely on to provide an impartial voice – is questioned? 🎧: lnk.to/ILzLjvBS @tbij.bsky.social

'The judge lost sight of the importance of press scrutiny to the integrity of the justice system.' | Great summary of the Court of Appeal judgment from last week which includes statement from @louisetickle.bsky.social and I.

An undercover investigation from @tbij.bsky.social and @tortoisemedia.bsky.social reveals the biases of psychologist Melanie Gill whose advice to judges been pivotal in the removal of children from mothers accused of parental alienation. @louisetickle.bsky.social and I report: tinyurl.com/ysczjepx

NEW: 'Watershed moment for family justice' | From today journalists will be able to report what they observe in family courts across England & Wales following the roll out of new rules tested under a reporting pilot to improve transparency. tinyurl.com/4r7646m2

In today's @observeruk.bsky.social @louisetickle.bsky.social and I write about how our challenge to the ban on naming judges was not about shaming individuals - but rather the wider principle that those who exercise state power need to be known. tinyurl.com/4u4ajanh

Well done @louisetickle.bsky.social and @hansummers.bsky.social

A ban on the naming of judges in the historic family proceedings relating to Sara Sharif will be lifted next week after an appeal brought by @louisetickle.bsky.social and me was allowed on all three grounds. Huge thanks to our barrister, Chris Barnes. Details here: 👉 tinyurl.com/yv6cf7ut

Updated: now with statement from @louisetickle.bsky.social and @hansummers.bsky.social explaining significance of their victory for #OpenJustice and #Transparency

Judges overseeing the #familycourt decisions placing Sara Sharif in the care of a father with an extensive history of #domesticabuse leading up to her murder can be named by media. Huge transparency success thanks to @louisetickle.bsky.social @hansummers.bsky.social. news.sky.com/story/judges...

The appeal against Mr Justice Williams' decision was brought by @hansummers.bsky.social @louisetickle.bsky.social and supported by almost every major UK media org including PA and BBCNews

Important judgment today. Congrats and thank you @louisetickle.bsky.social and @hansummers.bsky.social for your work to shed light on how the family court so often fails victims and survivors of abuse, including children.

Today the Court of Appeal ruled that the Family Court Judges involved in Sara Sharif case should be named, overturning the High Court decision in December. Appeal brought by @louisetickle.bsky.social and @hansummers.bsky.social joined by BBCNews Helena W & @danielsandford.bsky.social

Proud of the determination shown by TBIJ reporter @hansummers.bsky.social in the determination shown, alongside @louisetickle.bsky.social, in overturning the ban on naming the judges who oversaw family court proceedings relating to Sara Sharif www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

We’re hiring! Apply to be our Head of Operations (maternity cover) Salary: £50-55k depending on experience Contract: 12-month contract Location: London (hybrid working) Deadline: February 2 More info 👇

This is precisely the sort of public interest case that we established @lawforchange.bsky.social to support. Kudos to Hannah and Louise for pursuing it.

Best of luck to Hannah, Louise and the stellar legal team behind this - this is a case of profound public importance and sums up exactly kind of litigation we pursue at Law for Change

The hearing in the Court of Appeal continues today. Huge thanks to our barrister Chris Barnes and to the charity Law for Change for funding the appeal - an important public interest case relating to transparency and accountability.

Three appeal judges will begin considering this morning whether reporters can name judges who heard proceedings between 2012 and 2019 involving the family of the murdered schoolgirl Sara Sharif. rozenberg.substack.com/p/sharif-hea...

The appeal brought by @louisetickle.bsky.social and I relating to the decision to anonymise judges in the historic Sara Sharif family proceedings is underway before Sir Geoffrey Vos, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Warby. The hearing is being live streamed here: tinyurl.com/5e99cz43

a very mixed picture on open justice here from the excellent @kirkkorner.bsky.social www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/cour...

The Sun is quite right in its editorial on why the High Court judgment handed down yesterday in relation to @louisetickle.bsky.social & @hansummers.bsky.social application to name the family court judge in the Sara Sharif case is quite so chilling in terms of press freedom. t.co/wcgM3MJqTC

Media led by @louisetickle.bsky.social and @hansummers.bsky.social wins right to challenge Sara Sharif judges anonymity order pressgazette.co.uk/media_law/me...

We are pleased to see permission to appeal granted in this important appeal. Transparency is essential to accountability. Well done @hansummers.bsky.social and @louisetickle.bsky.social for your work to improve transparency in the Family Court.

application by @louisetickle.bsky.social and @hansummers.bsky.social

We have just heard that the Court of Appeal has granted @louisetickle.bsky.social and I permission to appeal the High Court decision to keep the names of judges who oversaw the Sara Sharif family proceedings anonymous. Huge thanks to our barrister Chris Barnes. Hearing in January.

BREAKING - SARA SHARIF: @louisetickle.bsky.social I just heard that the ban on naming of the judges who oversaw the historic family court cases will, despite our attempts to persuade Williams J otherwise, be maintained. Backed by @tortoisemedia.bsky.social ,we've just asked permission to appeal.

Even before Sara Sharif was born the risks to her safety were known. After the disclosure of family court papers secured with the help of the brilliant Chris Barnes [pro bono]@louisetickle.bsky.social & I report the missed opportunities to protect her.For @tortoisemedia.bsky.social shorturl.at/BUNkX

Significant development this morning in how family courts in England and Wales should deal with so-called 'parental alienation', which has been used to counter allegations of domestic abuse. Reporter @hansummers.bsky.social details the new guidelines issued to judges

"In the family courts, allegations of child sexual abuse are too often written off by judges who believe that it is rare; instead they are used as evidence that a mother is encouraging children to lie in order to undermine the other parent." tinyurl.com/bdhje7wz

Congratulations to @hansummers.bsky.social for this well deserved award 👏🏼 her reporting on CAFCASS’s failures to protect women and children and the family courts is a must read for everyone. #vawg #endviolenceagainstwomen #evawawards

I am so proud to be on this shortlist with so many amazing journalists - and so pleased for @hansummers.bsky.social whose reporting on family courts is vital and creating real change.

ICYMI - Children are at risk of being wrongly removed from their parents’ care by the family courts because drug tests are being misinterpreted

🚨NEW:“You’re not going to be successful if you don’t give evidence in your own claim” I wrote about the barriers faced by seasonal workers who seek justice through employment tribunals, including rules effectively blocking them from giving oral evidence www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2024...

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This is a great result for transparency. The regulator, The Bar Standards Board, has described the claims against senior barrister Jo Sidhu - who asked for his misconduct hearing to be held in secret - as "exceptionally serious". tinyurl.com/y9yfc6ty

👀 shorturl.at/lHVKN

If you’re interested in British media and its future, you need to listen to this @prospectmagazine.bsky.social podcast episode. Lionel Barber and Alan Rusbridger absolutely grill a (slightly evasive) James Harding on the Tortoise bid for the Observer. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...