Centre for Policy Studies

The government recently published its long awaited Green Paper on the family and, as part of this, has announced its intention to provide all new fathers with a "Dad's Guide" to matters such as pregnancy, parenthood and sharing household chores. Whilst, in principle, it seems right to help fathers become more involved in their children's births and upbringings, this move by Ed Balls so soon after having denounced the...

Read more: The Father’s Guide and political hypocrisy

New proposals were unveiled by the Ministry of Justice last week which were intended to contribute further towards the contentious opening of the family courts.

Jack Straw has tabled amendments to the Children, Schools and Families Bill which would provide the independent press with greater access to the family courts and allow judges to name paid experts "in the interest of open justice and to improve public confidence".

If adopted, this...

Read more: Openness in the family courts: a fundamental shift?

I was surprised and alarmed to read about the case of two part-time working women who were told that they were breaking the law by looking after each other's children. Detective Constables Leanne Shepherd and Lucy Jarrett gave birth to girls within a few months of each other and subsequently set up a job share whereby both were working for half a week in the same post and, when...

Read more: Childminding case deals a further blow to logic and common sense