Taking a Strand
Time to tackle overreliance on hair strand drug tests in the family courts: An open letter to the Family Division and Family Justice Board
For some time now there has been significant reliance on the findings from hair strand testing in the family courts, in relation to drug and alcohol use. However, there is a compelling body of evidence that shows the processes used to interpret these results are vastly oversimplified and misleading. These results are often a critical factor in decisions about whether children remain with their birth families or are taken into local authority care.
In October 2024, Birth Companions, MSB Solicitors and barristers from 4PB launched our Taking a Strand campaign, focussed on engaging with legal, academic and voluntary sector specialists on the need to tackle overreliance on hair strand drug tests in the family courts.
On 5th November 2024, we sent our open letter to the Family Division and the Family Justice Board, calling on them to undertake an urgent review of hair strand drug testing in the family courts. Our open letter was sent with over 90 co-signatories, from more than 20 different organisations, including barristers and King's Counsels from a number of chambers, solicitors, academics and voluntary sector specialists.
An open letter to the Family Division and Family Justice Board
Taking a Strand has received coverage in the Observer and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
If you would like to show your support for our Taking a Strand campaign, you can add your own signature via the link below.
“Release, the national centre of expertise on drugs and drug laws, is proud to support this campaign: through our national helpline, advocacy service, and legal clinics, we have seen the devastation caused to parents, particularly Black and Brown mothers, due to over-reliance on drug tests.
For as long as this over-reliance on hair strand tests continues, parents who use drugs – whether they use them dependently or occasionally – are in an unjust, losing battle during custody proceedings.
We therefore gladly join in this urgent call for the over-reliance on hair strand testing to end.”
Release Legal Emergency & Drugs Service, Co-signatories of the open letter
This open letter was signed by:
Kirsty Kitchen and Naomi Delap, Birth Companions
Joanne Brown KC, Laura Morley and Lucy Logan Green, 4PB
Daniel Pierce and Emma Palmer, MSB Solicitors
Along with co-signatories:
As of December 2024. We will continue to update this list with new co-signatories periodically.
1. Adele Cameron, Barrister, 4PB
2. Alex Verdan, Barrister/KC, 4PB
3. Alexandra Halliday, Barrister, 4PB
4. Amean Elgadhy, Barrister, 4PB
5. Andrew Powell, Barrister, 4PB
6. Anita Mehta, Barrister, 4PB
7. Baljinder Bath, Barrister, 4PB
8. Catherine Wood, King's Counsel, 4PB
9. Ceri White, Barrister, 4PB
10. Cliona Papazian, Barrister, 4PB
11. Fiona Munro, Barrister, 4PB
12. Henry Clayton, Barrister, 4PB
13. James Nottage, Barrister, 4PB
14. Jane Rayson, Barrister, 4PB
15. Jonathan Evans, Barrister, 4PB
16. Josephine Moreton, Pupil Barrister, 4PB
17. Kieran Ball, Barrister, 4PB
18. Lucy Cheetham, Barrister, 4PB
19. Michael Gration KC, Barrister, 4PB
20. Nadia Campbell-Brunton, Barrister, 4PB
21. Pippa Sanger, Barrister, 4PB
22. Prof Jo Delahunty, Barrister/KC, 4PB
23. Ralph Marnham, Barrister, 4PB
24. Ruth Kirby KC, Barrister, 4PB
25. Sam King KC, Barrister, 4PB
26. Samantha Woodham, Barrister, 4PB
27. Susannah Burley, Barrister, 4PB
28. Teertha Gupta, KC, 4PB
29. Kevin Gordon, Family Law Barrister, 5 Pump Court Chambers
30. Leszek Szczesniak, Barrister, 7 Harrington Street
31. Alex Laing, Barrister, Coram Chambers
32. Alison Easton, Barrister, Coram Chambers
33. Anarkali Musgrave, Barrister, Coram Chambers
34. Anna Ratcliffe, Barrister, Coram Chambers
35. Anna Walsh, Barrister, Coram Chambers
36. Anne Spratling, Barrister, Coram Chambers
37. Anne-Marie Glover, Barrister, Coram Chambers
38. Anthony Forde, Barrister, Coram Chambers
39. Bianca Jackson, Barrister, Coram Chambers
40. Caroline Croft, Barrister, Coram Chambers
41. Catherine Nicholes, Barrister, Coram Chambers
42. Hannah Gomersall, Barrister, Coram Chambers
43. Hannah Whitehouse, Barrister, Coram Chambers
44. Jacqueline Marks, Barrister, Coram Chambers
45. Jake Walker, Barrister, Coram Chambers
46. JP Cregan, Barrister, Coram Chambers
47. Judith Pepper, Barrister, Coram Chambers
48. Katherine Duncan, Barrister, Coram Chambers
49. Kyle Squire, Barrister, Coram Chambers
50. Lucinda Wicks, Barrister, Coram Chambers
51. Meena Gill, Barrister, Coram Chambers
52. NEIL FRY, Barrister, Coram Chambers
53. Pollyanna Furness, Barrister, Coram Chambers
54. Rachel Cooper, Barrister, Coram Chambers
55. Ramanjit Kang, Barrister, Coram Chambers
56. Sam Watts, Barrister, Coram Chambers
57. Sarah Branson, Barrister, Coram Chambers
58. Sarah Haworth, Barrister, Coram Chambers
59. Sarah Tyler, Barrister, Coram Chambers
60. Shárin Diegan, Barrister, Coram Chambers
61. Shiva Ancliffe, KC, Coram Chambers
62. Sima Kothari, Barrister, Coram Chambers
63. Sophie Hill, Barrister, Coram Chambers
64. Sophie Kay, Barrister, Coram Chambers
65. Victoria Haberfield, Barrister, Coram Chambers
66. Tony McGovern, Director, Creighton & Partners
67. Dr Lucy Baldwin, Fellow, Durham University
68. Paul Hunter, Technical Director, Forensic Testing Service
69. Maria Wright, Senior Associate, Hunters Law LLP
70. Jane Sandall, Professor of Women's Health, King's College, London
71. Karen Broadhurst, Professor, Lancaster University
72. Janey Starling, Co-director, Level Up
73. Sam Burton, Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University
74. Claire Durkan, Solicitor, Release
75. Fenella Sentance, Legal Policy Researcher, Release
76. Keith Edwards, Head of Finance & Operations, Release
77. Riley Johnson, Drugs Support Advisor and NSP Specialist, Release
78. Susannah Bowyer, Deputy Director, Research in Practice
79. Meme Smart, Solicitor, Statham Gill Davies
80. Victoria Gethin, Partner, Stephensons Solicitors LLP
81. Julian Hawkhead, Senior Partner, Stowe Family Law
82. Maria Coster, Team Leader Partner, Stowe Family Law
83. Matthew Taylor, Partner, Stowe Family Law
84. Nastassia Burton, Team Leader Partner, Stowe Family Law
85. Rachel Roberts, Regional Director, Stowe Family Law
86. Shanika Haynes, Partner, Stowe Family Law
87. Andrew Bilson, Emeritus Professor, University of Central Lancashire
88. Caroline Bald, Lecturer in Social Work, University of Essex & British Association of Social Workers Criminal Justice Thematic Group Chair
89. Laura Abbott, Associate Professor, University of Hertfordshire
90. Kirsty Leedam, Principal Associate, Weightmans
91. Amy Van Zyl, Chief Executive Officer, Women's REFORM CiC
92. Emily Verity, Barrister, 1 GC Family Law
93. Jonathan Adler, Barrister, 1 Pump Court
94. Yasin Din, Barrister, 2 KBW
95. Jonathan Rustin, Barrister, 4PB
96. Karen Bailey, Principal Solicitor, Bailey Wright & Co. Solicitors
97. Kyle Patterson, Director/Solicitor, Yarwood Holmes Law
98. Vickie Oates, Social Worker, 24-7
99. Indy Cross, Chief Executive, Agenda Alliance
100. Diana Parkinson MBE, Trustee, Birth Companions
101. Marilyn Hawes, CEO, Freedom From Abuse
102. Kellie Ziemba, CEO, Kairos Women Working Together
103. Niki Gould, Director of Women's Community Services, The Nelson Trust
104. Chris Arnold, Young Oasis and Oasis Family Recovery Service Manager, Oasis Project Hastings
105. Dana Delap, Vicar, Church of England
106. Gill Abela
107. Debbie Beattie
108. Matthew Holden
109. Carey Johnson
110. Marianne Lyons
111. Emmanuelle Navarri
112. Heidi Perry
113. Aleksandra Romanska
114. Sheila Wilson
