Sara Sharif review reveals family court failings

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/sara-sharif-review-reveals-family-court-failings/5125118.article

14 November 2025 by Monidipa Fouzder

Sara Sharif review reveals family court failings

[…] Sara's birthmother represented herself in court, with no interpreter present. The review said there was 'no obvious understanding of the impact of the power imbalance between birthmother, the court and father/stepmother, in the context of her experience as a survivor of domestic abuse'.

Recommendations include eradicating the potential for safeguarding risks not being recognised or addressed in private law proceedings. ‘This should be approached through the work of both local and national family justice boards to specifically focus on changing culture, policy and procedure that private law is not just about family dispute resolution in relation to the children involved but to recognise the risks in particular during separation to not just the adult but also the children,' the review said.

An interpreter should be made available when a parent’s first language is not English. If this is not possible and risks delaying proceedings, ‘the court should on all occasions ensure that the parents understand what is happening at each stage of the proceedings’, the review advised. […]