Family law courts - A welcome decision

A society that cannot look itself in the mirror, warts and all, will never be as successful, as supportive or as humane as it might wish to be. This principle stands even if it is misused to intrude and indulge in voyeurism of the most exploitative kind.

Some of this country’s most harrowing dramas play out in the family law courts. It is entirely right that those involved be guaranteed privacy as the details of lives gone wrong are considered by a judge.

There is a downside to that exclusion though. It may mean that a need social reform made obvious in these courts is not widely recognised. Therefore, Justice Minister Alan Shatter, a leading family law practitioner, is to be congratulated for making it possible, in a way that still protects those involved, to report on these court proceedings. It is hard not to think that the reportage will force legislative and social change.