New appointments to family rule committee

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Vicki Mulligan as a Lay Member of the Family Procedure Rule Committee (FPRC) for 3 years from 4 November 2025. Alongside this, Laura Coyle has been reappointed as the Solicitor Member of the FPRC for 3 years from 1 August 2026. Vicki is currently the Interim Director of the Centre for Justice Innovation; an independent charity focused on making the justice system fairer and more effective. Her extensive experience in justice reform demonstrates her strong commitment to improving outcomes for children, families, and communities.

Laura Coyle is a Partner at Freemans Solicitors, specialising in children law since 2007. Her practice involves complex public law, international family law, and child abduction cases. Laura serves on the Law Society Children Sub-committee and is Co-Vice Chair of the Child Abduction Lawyers Association. The Family Procedure Rule Committee was established in October 2004 to create clear and easily understandable rules to foster a more accessible, fair, and efficient family justice system. It governs the practice and procedure that must be followed in family proceedings within the High Court and family court.

These appointments are made by the Lord Chancellor after consultation with the President of the Family Division and comply with the regulatory oversight of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, ensuring a recruitment process in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

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