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The family courts are facing a ‘clear and imminent crisis’ because of the sustained increase in the number of child care cases, the Head of the Family Division warned.
In his latest View from the President’s Chambers, Sir James Munby said: ‘The fact is that we are approaching a crisis for which we are ill-prepared and where there is no clear strategy to manage the crisis. What is to be done?’
The number of cases has risen from around 6,500 in 2005/6 to about 15,000 this year, and Munby predicted that could climb to 25,000 by 2019/20.
He called for a national roll-out of the pioneering Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC), which seeks to address the problems that lead to many care applications being made.
Munby said the FDAC and similar projects are ‘the best hope, indeed, in truth, the only hope, we have of bringing the system, the ever increasing numbers of care cases, under control’.
Meanwhile, a study found that 37% of FDAC mothers were reunited with their children at the end of proceedings, compared with 25% of mothers in ordinary proceedings, and they experienced significantly less family disruption after being reunited over the three years after proceedings ended – 51% compared with 22%.
The study also found that many more mothers who went through the FDAC stopped misusing substances at the end of proceedings (46% compared with 30%).
Despite these findings, funding for the FDAC is due to run out in 2017.
The family courts are facing a ‘clear and imminent crisis’ because of the sustained increase in the number of child care cases, the Head of the Family Division warned.
In his latest View from the President’s Chambers, Sir James Munby said: ‘The fact is that we are approaching a crisis for which we are ill-prepared and where there is no clear strategy to manage the crisis. What is to be done?’
The number of cases has risen from around 6,500 in 2005/6 to about 15,000 this year, and Munby predicted that could climb to 25,000 by 2019/20.
He called for a national roll-out of the pioneering Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC), which seeks to address the problems that lead to many care applications being made.
Munby said the FDAC and similar projects are ‘the best hope, indeed, in truth, the only hope, we have of bringing the system, the ever increasing numbers of care cases, under control’.
Meanwhile, a study found that 37% of FDAC mothers were reunited with their children at the end of proceedings, compared with 25% of mothers in ordinary proceedings, and they experienced significantly less family disruption after being reunited over the three years after proceedings ended – 51% compared with 22%.
The study also found that many more mothers who went through the FDAC stopped misusing substances at the end of proceedings (46% compared with 30%).
Despite these findings, funding for the FDAC is due to run out in 2017.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
The Chief Legal Officer to the Metropolitan Police, barrister Brett Welch, tells Anthony Inglese CB about his mission and the work to turn the Met around
Barrister apprenticeships – shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar – are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Born from a grievance, their research project grew into a book and is now challenging the status quo. Emma Price and Emma-Louise Fenelon reveal the key findings – and the critical next steps
Grok around and find out – or not? Mariya Peykova investigates the nudification scandal, what the law has to say about sexually explicit deepfakes, and whether stronger regulation is needed
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law – coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts
