Rules preventing the media from reporting what happens in family courts are to be eased, the justice secretary, Jack Straw, announced today . The ban on journalists attending court hearings was lifted earlier this year, but case details remain private. Straw proposes relaxing the rules on what journalists can report. It could mean that expert witness reports, containing details of child abuse allegations, could be published. Safeguards would continue to protect identity. "Allowing the substance of children's cases to be reported in more detail will lead to greater transparency," Straw said.