Family court judgments 2026
Bradley v CM & Ors [2026] EWHC 125 (Fam)
Mr Justice Poole
26 January 2026
Charlotte Proudman represented the journalist, Jessica Bradley, pro bono.
Journalist allowed to read psychologist’s reports, Transparency Project, 29 January 2026
The expert was Dr Maria Downs.
Re A Child Born 2017 (Final Hearing) [2026] EWFC 55 (B)
The father was extremely violent and coercively controlling, and misused alcohol and drugs. Deputy District Judge Nahal-Macdonald rejected the father’s allegation of parental alienation as “lacking in any good faith evidential basis. It is more likely that C did not want to see F because of the things F had done to her and to her mother. F needs to take ownership of that if he is to make himself a better parent.” He made a 5 year barring order against further applications and awarded indirect contact only in the form of a photo of the child to be sent by the mother every nine months.
A (A Child) (Fact-finding: domestic abuse and alienating behaviour), Re [2026] EWFC 58 (B)
The daughter made allegations of child sexual abuse by the father. “NYAS applied for a global psychological assessment to be undertaken… the court approved the instruction of Mr R.” Mr R raised concerns about the mother’s “psychological and emotional well-being and functioning” and her “attitude towards A’s relationship with her father” and “her relationships with professionals”. He “recommended that M would benefit from individual psychotherapy to explore attachments and relationships and the source of her anxiety. He also recommended that M and A would benefit from engaging in therapy together.”
Recorder Cragg found the allegations of sexual abuse by the father unproven and the counter allegations of alienating behaviour by the mother unproven.