It’s rare that we get to hear directly from the young people caught in the middle of family court disputes. So it was a privilege to interview Dylan* about his six-year separation from his mother after an unregulated psychologist advised she'd 'alienated' him from his father. 🧵

Lord Justice Stephen Cobb has been appointed as President of the Family Division of England and Wales. He succeeds Sir Andrew McFarlane who retired on 13 April. tinyurl.com/59htxj8d

Today @tbij.bsky.social has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support our work tackling climate misinformation. All donations to our @biggive.bsky.social campaign made up until April 29 will be matched, like for like, by the platform

Just watched a Cafcass officer repeatedly insist that a child being taken from their mum without warning & barred from seeing her for months, is not “traumatic” but merely “puzzling and confusing”. Child was placed with their dad, whom they said had physically mistreated them.

I've spent the past 4 months investigating one of the worst safeguarding failures in the shadow care system, where hundreds of kids live in illegal children's homes. My report for @tbij.bsky.social 1/2👇 www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...

I interviewed a remarkable young woman, Florence*, for @tbij.bsky.social who spoke to me about her experience of the family courts and her efforts to bring her own legal challenge after being removed from her mother's care at the age of 10. tinyurl.com/4nxdst55 (1/9)

A council sent a highly vulnerable girl to an illegal children's home staffed by criminals They plied her with alcohol and drugs and sexually abused her Vital reporting by @tomwall.bsky.social for @tbij.bsky.social

Child focused courts (previously called the pathfinder courts) will be expanded nationally in "game changer" for family justice. A successful pilot of the new 'problem solving' model has been credited with reducing delays and better safeguarding children. tinyurl.com/264x9nb4

What does the President's 'Re Y' judgment mean for the family courts? My analysis for @tbij.bsky.social tinyurl.com/mr36v98k

Have we seen the last of unregulated psychologists in the family courts? My report on McFarlane's landmark judgment, Re Y. He says his ruling is not just about one person (Melanie Gill) but a whole system that failed to protect the children in this case. tinyurl.com/mvpbjjfs

I keep hearing that the rise of the populist right is one of the biggest threats to the climate. Watching Trump’s second term it’s hard to disagree So @tbij.bsky.social looked at what councils controlled by Reform UK are doing on climate What we found was pretty shocking

www.theguardian.com/law/2026/feb... by @hansummers.bsky.social also now reported in @theguardian.com Will other cases be reviewed?

A mother whose children were taken by the family court has been vindicated after a 6 yr struggle to have evidence from an unregulated psychologist overturned. The advice of Melanie Gill led to "draconian" orders terminating her relationship with her kids. My report here 👉 tinyurl.com/ypp99rka

Thurrock warns Liam Kavanagh is not ‘off the hook’, as council report points to £200m investment loss New by me for @tbij.bsky.social

The family court will not carry out a wholesale review of cases involving the unregulated psychologist, Melanie Gill, @tbij.bsky.social can reveal. Meanwhile mothers who had their children taken away after Gill gave evidence in their cases demand a public apology. tinyurl.com/595ah2e5

Excellent reporting from my colleagues @garethtbij.bsky.social and @tomwall.bsky.social on illegal children's homes which are being paid millions in public money to accommodate vulnerable kids despite lack of proper safeguards and checks. tinyurl.com/yvxj28ru

The former chair of the Criminal Bar Association, Jo Sidhu KC, has failed in his appeal against being disbarred after three charges of professional misconduct relating to inappropriate sexual behaviour were found against him. tinyurl.com/3sazzzpe

As parents, we're supposed to remember the first time we did stuff with our kids, but the last time is equally as significant, if not more. This poem is from Whatever You Do, Just Don't (HappenStance Press, 2023), my second full collection...

Minister to give update on X amid deepfake row

@tbij.bsky.social doing the right thing. We are no longer posting on X

NEW: Six years ago today a boy was removed from his mother's care by the family court and banned from seeing her following the evidence of an unregulated psychologist. Now they will spend Christmas together after his successful legal bid to the high court. tinyurl.com/4suja87n

A boy taken away from his mother on the advice of unregulated psychologist Melanie Gill has won the right to spend Christmas with her for the first time in six years More incredible impact from @tbij.bsky.social's @hansummers.bsky.social www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

But we want to empower more journalists to do this kind of reporting That’s why we launched a mentoring programme this year This is just one of the projects you could support us in funding 👉 bit.ly/TBIJ-big-give

Family court cases have the potential to change lives – and yet investment in court reporting has significantly dropped We’re filling the gaps left behind by other newsrooms

These are just a few examples of the reporting we’ve done recently, thanks to your support We’ve now launched another crowdfunder – and for this week only all donations we receive via the Big Give platform will be doubled at no extra cost to you 👉https://bit.ly/TBIJ-big-give

We believe good journalism should be accessible to everyone – so we don’t put our investigations behind paywalls or fill our website with ads But our resources are limited and we need your support That's why today we’re launching our Big Give Christmas crowdfunder

Huge congrats to the inimitable @hansummers.bsky.social and @louisetickle.bsky.social for winning - and I was stoked to get a special mention for my “totally gripping” investigation into Enough - the tech start up targeting rape victims at university

Looking forward to this!

Tomorrow evening @lawforchange.uk has a reception in Parliament hosted by Andy Slaughter MP, joined by AG Richard Hermer and Minister Sarah Sackman. We are almost at our 200 capacity but if any friends on here want to join us, let me know today (preferably by email).

A very hard earned award. Well done @hansummers.bsky.social and @louisetickle.bsky.social

huge congratulations @louisetickle.bsky.social and @hansummers.bsky.social winners of Society of Editors awards - National Campaign of the Year for their work on transparency in family courts

many thanks to Chris Barnes for his speedy work on grappling with what can be learnt from this Review into the systemic problems - how was Sara Sharif's safety overlooked?

We’re thrilled to see @hansummers.bsky.social and @louisetickle.bsky.social recognised with Campaign of the Year! 👏 Their work to ensure greater transparency in the family courts is a vital step towards accountability and justice for victim-survivors. #MFA2025

Massive congratulations to @tbij.bsky.social's family court reporter @hansummers.bsky.social who, alongside @louisetickle.bsky.social, won Campaign of the Year at last night's Society of Editors Media Freedom Awards. Hugely well-deserved

✏️ BEST INVESTIGATION Congratulations to the writers of our shortlisted pieces: @sianushka.bsky.social @hansummers.bsky.social @louisetickle.bsky.social @lydmorrish.bsky.social @cahalmilmo.bsky.social and Mark Wilding

[email protected]'s brilliant family court reporter @hansummers.bsky.social's ongoing investigation into unregulated experts and parental alienation has made a spread in today's @dailymail.co.uk

Climate journalists in Europe and North America often write about the forest as a resource, or something that can be quantified But what if the forest is your home or a part of you? For our first Cop30 story, we spoke to 100 Indigenous people from the world’s tropical forests

The Justice Committee will question the President of the Family Division and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales during an evidence session in Parliament today (from 2.30pm) examining reform of the Family Court. tinyurl.com/bdztpks8

On Saturday, a woman of Punjabi heritage was raped in a racist attack in Walsall. Last month, a Sikh woman was raped in a racist attack in Oldbury. These horrifying attacks show how racism and misogyny feed each other — fuelled by the rise of fascism and hate.

The removal of children on the advice of unregulated experts instructed by the family courts is a “national scandal”, the incoming victims' commissioner @ldnvictimscomm.bsky.social has told @tbij.bsky.social. She is calling for an urgent review of all Melanie Gill's cases. 🧵 tinyurl.com/bp9smemn

NEW: A mother has won a landmark legal bid to overturn the evidence of a psychologist which led to her kids being removed. For the last 5yrs she has only seen them twice a month under strict supervision based on Melanie Gill's advice to a family judge. 🧵 tinyurl.com/4z2cm2m4

The presumption of parental involvement has harmed children for too long. We spoke to @hansummers.bsky.social explaining it “embeds the pro-contact culture in the family court - it dilutes the court’s ability to focus on the welfare of children." www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

we're reading this important report but meanwhile here's a good summary and comment @hansummers.bsky.social @tbij.bsky.social Family courts’ failure to tackle domestic abuse laid out in… | TBIJ share.google/aB3C8u5X94Hx...

Family courts’ failure to tackle domestic abuse laid out in damning new report New by @hansummers.bsky.social for @tbij.bsky.social www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

This is one of the obstacles workers face when trying to get the money awarded to them by employment tribunals. Our investigation found that directors shut down companies & open them up again to avoid paying tribunal awards. @georgemonbiot.bsky.social www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

Thousands of workers who have fought hard to win employment tribunals are never being paid the money that rogue bosses owe them, with no consequences for bosses but a huge impact on them. Privileged to be working on this project with the brilliant @mellino.bsky.social and team at @tbij.bsky.social

I've written something about England, flags and someone who took a stand against the sort of hate and ignorance which resurfaced across the country this summer

Turn up to court, judge starts to hear the case I’m interested in, staff have forgotten to unlock the doors. Been a while since this happened… #SecretJustice

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