Three judges who presided over Family Court hearings involving Sara Sharif prior to her murder have been named following a successful legal appeal by media organisations. Judge Alison Raeside, Judge Peter Nathan, and Judge Sally Williams were responsible for decisions regarding Sara’s care over several years.
Three judges who oversaw Family Court hearings on Sara Sharif’s care before her murder can now be named after a media appeal.
Judges Alison Raeside, Peter Nathan, and Sally Williams made key rulings in the years leading up to her death.#SaraSharif pic.twitter.com/0qAUmZsFp8
— British Pakistani Index (@PakistaniIndex) January 31, 2025
Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, were convicted of her murder in December 2024 and sentenced to life imprisonment. After their convictions, details from Family Court hearings were made public. However, a High Court ruling initially prevented the media from identifying the judges, citing concerns over potential risks to their safety.
Mr Justice Williams, who issued the initial order, stated that there was a “real risk” of harm to the judges due to online threats. Media organisations, including the BBC, successfully challenged the ruling, arguing that judicial decisions should be subject to public scrutiny. Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls and the most senior civil judge in England and Wales, ruled in favour of the appeal, calling the original decision to anonymise the judges “misguided.”
Judge Raeside oversaw the majority of the hearings related to Sara’s care. The court first became involved with Sara’s family before her birth, with concerns raised as early as January 2013. Social services had recommended placing Sara and her siblings into foster care, citing concerns of inadequate supervision and unexplained injuries. Reports also documented domestic abuse by Urfan Sharif against Sara’s mother, Olga Sharif.
Despite these concerns, Judge Raeside ruled against a care order, allowing Sara and her siblings to remain with their parents under local authority supervision. In subsequent hearings, Judge Raeside and other judges reviewed allegations of abuse and incidents involving both parents. Judge Nathan temporarily placed Sara and a sibling in foster care in 2014 after allegations of mistreatment by Olga Sharif. In 2015, Judge Williams ruled that the children should remain in foster care temporarily after concerns that Urfan Sharif was visiting them in secret.
By 2019, Sara and her sibling were living with Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool. A social worker recommended that they remain in their father’s custody with supervised visits to their mother. On July 9, 2019, Judge Raeside formalised the arrangement, ruling that Sara and her sibling should live with their father and stepmother. Five years later, Sara was murdered in their care.
Following the revelation of the judges’ identities, Justice Williams maintained that decisions made in the Family Court adhered to legal standards at the time. He stated that “hindsight” should not be used to evaluate past rulings, adding that legal professionals, social workers, and judges followed existing laws and procedures.
Legal representatives for media organisations argued that judicial accountability was essential. Adam Wolanski KC, representing newspapers and broadcasters, stated that judges must expect their decisions to be scrutinised. The identification of the judges coincides with new rules allowing increased reporting from Family Courts in England and Wales.