Undercover Investigation Exposes Views of Influential Family Court Expert

An undercover investigation by TBIJ and Tortoise Media exposed the views of Melanie Gill, an unregulated psychologist who had given evidence in hundreds of family court cases. Speaking to an undercover reporter posing as a father in a family dispute, Gill made assumptions about parental alienation before gathering any evidence, suggested that abuse allegations were likely false, and expressed strongly biased views about domestic violence. A senior psychologist who helped write key guidance for the family courts described her views as “dangerous” and “terrifying”. The investigation was a direct catalyst for the judicial intervention in Re Y

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism & Tortoise Media

30th January 2026