A mother who accused her former partner of rape has won an appeal against a family court judge.

Judge Tolson’s decisions have been successfully appealed several times over the past six years.

In the year In 2021, three senior judges found the presentation of evidence “grossly flawed” in a case in which a mother claimed rape and abuse. Judge Tolson described the mother as “very distressed” and “with mental health issues” rather than a victim of domestic violence.

In the year In 2024, Judge Tolson was reprimanded by the Court of Appeals in a case involving domestic violence. Judge Tolson said the father should have unsupervised contact with the children despite the allegations.

In the year In 2025, Ms Justice Judd overturned High Court Judge Tolson’s decision to allow a father to have unsupervised video contact with his children after the father pleaded guilty to assaulting the mother and her family.

Many family cases involve allegations of domestic violence. A Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s latest report, External Based on certain samples, it is mentioned as a problem in about 90% of cases.

The government responded earlier this month with a commitment to improve the experience of parents involved in private legal proceedings against their children, including victims of domestic abuse and other serious crimes.