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 February 2025. We will continue to update this list with new co-signatories periodically.
1. Emily Verity, Barrister, 1 GC Family Law
2. Jonathan Adler, Barrister, 1 Pump Court
3. Yasin Din, Barrister, 2 KBW
4. Vickie Oates, Social Worker, 24-7
5. Adele Cameron, Barrister, 4PB
6. Alex Verdan, Barrister/KC, 4PB
7. Alexandra Halliday, Barrister, 4PB
8. Amean Elgadhy, Barrister, 4PB
9. Andrew Powell, Barrister, 4PB
10. Anita Mehta, Barrister, 4PB
11. Baljinder Bath, Barrister, 4PB
12. Catherine Wood, King's Counsel, 4PB
13. Ceri White, Barrister, 4PB
14. Cliona Papazian, Barrister, 4PB
15. Fiona Munro, Barrister, 4PB
16. Henry Clayton, Barrister, 4PB
17. James Nottage, Barrister, 4PB
18. Jane Rayson, Barrister, 4PB
19. Jonathan Evans, Barrister, 4PB
20. Jonathan Rustin, Barrister, 4PB
21. Josephine Moreton, Pupil Barrister, 4PB
22. Kieran Ball, Barrister, 4PB
23. Lucy Cheetham, Barrister, 4PB
24. Michael Gration KC, Barrister, 4PB
25. Nadia Campbell-Brunton, Barrister, 4PB
26. Pippa Sanger, Barrister, 4PB
27. Prof Jo Delahunty, Barrister/KC, 4PB
28. Ralph Marnham, Barrister, 4PB
29. Ruth Kirby KC, Barrister, 4PB
30. Sam King KC, Barrister, 4PB
31. Samantha Woodham, Barrister, 4PB
32. Susannah Burley, Barrister, 4PB
33. Teertha Gupta, KC, 4PB
34. Kevin Gordon, Family Law Barrister, 5 Pump Court Chambers
35. Leszek Szczesniak, Barrister, 7 Harrington Street
36. Indy Cross, Chief Executive, Agenda Alliance
37. Karen Bailey, Principal Solicitor, Bailey Wright & Co
38. Diana Parkinson MBE, Trustee, Birth Companions
39. Dana Delap, Vicar, Church of England
40. Alex Laing, Barrister, Coram Chambers
41. Alison Easton, Barrister, Coram Chambers
42. Anarkali Musgrave, Barrister, Coram Chambers
43. Anna Ratcliffe, Barrister, Coram Chambers
44. Anna Walsh, Barrister, Coram Chambers
45. Anne Spratling, Barrister, Coram Chambers
46. Anne-Marie Glover, Barrister, Coram Chambers
47. Anthony Forde, Barrister, Coram Chambers
48. Bianca Jackson, Barrister, Coram Chambers
49. Caroline Croft, Barrister, Coram Chambers
50. Catherine Nicholes, Barrister, Coram Chambers
51. Hannah Gomersall, Barrister, Coram Chambers
52. Hannah Whitehouse, Barrister, Coram Chambers
53. Jacqueline Marks, Barrister, Coram Chambers
54. Jake Walker, Barrister, Coram Chambers
55. JP Cregan, Barrister, Coram Chambers
56. Judith Pepper, Barrister, Coram Chambers
57. Katherine Duncan, Barrister, Coram Chambers
58. Kyle Squire, Barrister, Coram Chambers
59. Lucinda Wicks, Barrister, Coram Chambers
60. Meena Gill, Barrister, Coram Chambers
61. Neil Fry, Barrister, Coram Chambers
62. Pollyanna Furness, Barrister, Coram Chambers
63. Rachel Cooper, Barrister, Coram Chambers
64. Ramanjit Kang, Barrister, Coram Chambers
65. Sam Watts, Barrister, Coram Chambers
66. Sarah Branson, Barrister, Coram Chambers
67. Sarah Haworth, Barrister, Coram Chambers
68. Sarah Tyler, Barrister, Coram Chambers
69. Shárin Diegan, Barrister, Coram Chambers
70. Shiva Ancliffe, KC, Coram Chambers
71. Sima Kothari, Barrister, Coram Chambers
72. Sophie Hill, Barrister, Coram Chambers
73. Sophie Kay, Barrister, Coram Chambers
74. Victoria Haberfield, Barrister, Coram Chambers
75. Tony McGovern, Director, Creighton & Partners
76. Dr Lucy Baldwin, Fellow, Durham University
77. Marilyn Hawes, CEO, Freedom From Abuse
78. Paul Hunter, Technical Director, Forensic Testing Service
79. Annabel Flack, Specialist Midwife in Drugs and Alcohol, Homerton University Hospital
80. Maria Wright, Senior Associate, Hunters Law LLP
81. Kellie Ziemba, CEO, Kairos Women Working Together
82. Jane Sandall, Professor of Women's Health, King's College London
83. Karen Broadhurst, Professor, Lancaster University
84. Janey Starling, Co-director, Level Up
85. Sam Burton, Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University
86. Niki Gould, Director of Women's Community Services, The Nelson Trust
87. Olivia Warham, Trustee and Head of Fundraising, Not Beyond Redemption
88. Bruce Mauleverer, Trustee, Not Beyond Redemption
89. Chris Arnold, Young Oasis and Oasis Family Recovery Service Manager, Oasis Project Hastings
90. Claire Durkan, Solicitor, Release
91. Fenella Sentance, Legal Policy Researcher, Release
92. Keith Edwards, Head of Finance & Operations, Release
93. Riley Johnson, Drugs Support Advisor and NSP Specialist, Release
94. Susannah Bowyer, Deputy Director, Research in Practice
95. Meme Smart, Solicitor, Statham Gill Davies
96. Victoria Gethin, Partner, Stephensons Solicitors LLP
97. Julian Hawkhead, Senior Partner, Stowe Family Law
98. Maria Coster, Team Leader Partner, Stowe Family Law
99. Matthew Taylor, Partner, Stowe Family Law
100. Nastassia Burton, Team Leader Partner, Stowe Family Law
101. Rachel Roberts, Regional Director, Stowe Family Law
102. Shanika Haynes, Partner, Stowe Family Law
103. Andrew Bilson, Emeritus Professor, University of Central Lancashire
104. Caroline Bald, Lecturer in Social Work, University of Essex & British Association of Social Workers Criminal Justice Thematic Group Chair
105. Laura Abbott, Associate Professor, University of Hertfordshire
106. Kirsty Leedam, Principal Associate, Weightmans
107. Amy Van Zyl, Chief Executive Officer, Women's REFORM CiC
108. Kyle Patterson, Director/Solicitor, Yarwood Holmes Law
109. Aleksandra Romanska
110. Carey Johnson
111. Debbie Beattie
112. Emmanuelle Navarri
113. Gill Abela
114. Heidi Perry
115. Jae Swift
116. Marianne Lyons
117. Matthew Holden
118. Sheila Wilson
