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High volumes of work in the family courts could mean judges, lawyers and staff may have to ‘cut corners or risk burnout’, the head of the Family Division has said.
In his first A View from the President’s Chambers newsletter since taking over from Sir James Munby, Sir Andrew McFarlane said: ‘In these highly pressured times I think that it is neither necessary nor healthy for the courts and the professionals to attempt to undertake business as usual.
‘For the time being some corners may have to be cut and some time limits exceeded. To attempt to do otherwise in a situation where the pressure is sustained, remorseless and relentless, is to risk the burnout of key and valued individuals in a system, which is already sparsely manned in terms of lawyers, court staff and judges.’
He accepted that family lawyers and judges always ‘go the extra mile’ for the sake of the children concerned, but said he wanted to ‘acknowledge publicly that we are currently in a situation that cannot be accommodated simply by working beyond what can reasonably be expected every now and again’.
He recalled how the system under his predecessor had been ‘working flat out’ and stated that had been before the 25% workload increase in 2016/17.
‘My aim in now saying what I have is to give each of you, as the psychologists would say, “permission” to have a sensible discussion with each other and establish a dialogue between local professionals and the local judiciary in order to develop sensible parameters and guidelines on what can, and what should not, be expected from those appearing before and working in the courts.’
High volumes of work in the family courts could mean judges, lawyers and staff may have to ‘cut corners or risk burnout’, the head of the Family Division has said.
In his first A View from the President’s Chambers newsletter since taking over from Sir James Munby, Sir Andrew McFarlane said: ‘In these highly pressured times I think that it is neither necessary nor healthy for the courts and the professionals to attempt to undertake business as usual.
‘For the time being some corners may have to be cut and some time limits exceeded. To attempt to do otherwise in a situation where the pressure is sustained, remorseless and relentless, is to risk the burnout of key and valued individuals in a system, which is already sparsely manned in terms of lawyers, court staff and judges.’
He accepted that family lawyers and judges always ‘go the extra mile’ for the sake of the children concerned, but said he wanted to ‘acknowledge publicly that we are currently in a situation that cannot be accommodated simply by working beyond what can reasonably be expected every now and again’.
He recalled how the system under his predecessor had been ‘working flat out’ and stated that had been before the 25% workload increase in 2016/17.
‘My aim in now saying what I have is to give each of you, as the psychologists would say, “permission” to have a sensible discussion with each other and establish a dialogue between local professionals and the local judiciary in order to develop sensible parameters and guidelines on what can, and what should not, be expected from those appearing before and working in the courts.’
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By David Green
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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
