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Lord Justice Wall, the President of the Family Division, has called for greater “judicial continuity” in family cases and warned of the trauma which separating parents inflict on their offspring.
In a speech to the charity, Families Need Fathers, in Coventry this month, Wall LJ asked whether the family justice system is in need of review.
“The first and critical change which ... needs to be made is to make the system less adversarial. This is more difficult than it sounds,” he said. Parents were harming children during divorce proceedings by using them as “the battlefield” and “the ammunition”.
Wall LJ said he often came across cases which had been dealt with by “as many as nine or ten judges”, with sometimes inconsistent decisions. “In short, there was a total lack of judicial continuity”. This was a case management issue which had to be addressed, he said.
He said mediation will become compulsory in most cases before proceedings can be launched, under the current government, although the details have yet to be worked out.
Meanwhile the MoJ has delayed until late next year a decision on whether to increase media access to family courts.
In a speech to the charity, Families Need Fathers, in Coventry this month, Wall LJ asked whether the family justice system is in need of review.
“The first and critical change which ... needs to be made is to make the system less adversarial. This is more difficult than it sounds,” he said. Parents were harming children during divorce proceedings by using them as “the battlefield” and “the ammunition”.
Wall LJ said he often came across cases which had been dealt with by “as many as nine or ten judges”, with sometimes inconsistent decisions. “In short, there was a total lack of judicial continuity”. This was a case management issue which had to be addressed, he said.
He said mediation will become compulsory in most cases before proceedings can be launched, under the current government, although the details have yet to be worked out.
Meanwhile the MoJ has delayed until late next year a decision on whether to increase media access to family courts.
Lord Justice Wall, the President of the Family Division, has called for greater “judicial continuity” in family cases and warned of the trauma which separating parents inflict on their offspring.
Far-ranging month for the Chair of the Bar
Endometriosis Awareness North, a charity raising awareness of endometriosis and supporting those affected across the North of England, has received a £500 boost from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the most recent data on alcohol misuse in the UK, and the implications for alcohol testing in family proceedings
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how tailored financial planning can help barristers take control of their finances and plan with confidence
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Seeing the full picture – Baljit Ubhey OBE outlines the CPS action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, offering insights directly relevant to courtroom practice
Heritage as an anchor and a compass, finding our common humanity and embracing the power of the outsider – Melina Antoniadis’s lessons learnt
Switching from a physical blue book to OneNote is simple, secure and game-changing, says Elizabeth Bowden – you’ll wonder how you managed without it...
Is the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office process fit for purpose? Women barristers’ experiences of bullying are not being reported or, if they are, they are not making it through the system, says Tana Adkin KC
Review by Daniel Barnett
