CLIBBERY HITS PRIVACY

Family lawyers gave a mixed welcome to a ruling last week which could potentially open the doors for the media to report details of many family court hearings previously held in private.The High Court lifted a restraining injunction on Glory Anne Clibbery, the former girlfriend of racehorse trainer Ivan Allan, which was designed to prevent her from publishing extracts from court documents in an interview she had given about the couple's relationship to the Daily Mail.However, despite the successful appeal and the injunction being lifted, cases involving children or where information is supplied to the court under compulsion - including money and property claims in divorces - will continue to be held in private.Elizabeth Hicks, the partner at City firm Kingsley Napley who acted for Mr Allan, said that while she was disappointed to lose the appeal, she was pleased the court had agreed that family proceedings are conducted in private subject to exceptions.

She said it would mainly affect unmarried, childless couples.Peter Watson-Lee, chairman of the Law Society's family law committee, said the judgment had created a 'two-tiered' effect: 'The restrictions on unmarried cohabitees speaking to the press seem far less than for married people, who cannot discuss anything to do with their divorce.'However, James Stewart, the head of family law at City firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain and Ms Clibbery's solicitor, argued that there was a 'plethora' of occasions where the judgment would have a major impact.'Not all family issues involve children or divorce, such as applications for an occupation order, or domestic violence proceedings,' he said.Victoria MacCallum