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
