The Family Court will be open to the media under legislation passed by Parliament yesterday.

The Care of Children Bill, which was given its third reading on a 62-58 vote, carries a provision that accredited media can cover cases with the permission of the presiding judge.

The identities of people appearing will still be protected.

National MP Judith Collins said it did not go far enough and failed to address serious flaws in Family Court law.

ACT’s deputy leader Muriel Newman said estranged fathers would be no better off than they were under current legislation.

“For five years I have campaigned to have shared parenting introduced as a foundation principle of New Zealand’s family law,” she said.

“With the Care of Children Bill, Labour has shattered the hopes of these estranged fathers and children, and turned its back on their plight.”