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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.’
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
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
Chair of the Bar reports back
