Cuts on the agenda of family justice review
Thursday 01 July 2010 by Catherine Baksi
The Ministry of Justice has launched a ‘comprehensive review’ of the family justice system, appointing a panel of experts to hear evidence on how the system can improve. However, the panel chair has admitted a principal catalyst for the review is the government’s desire to make spending cuts.
The review will examine both public and private law cases, looking at how the courts, along with other agencies, manage cases involving children and the public care system, and contact and resident disputes.
It will consider how to improve use of mediation when couples break up, and how to provide better access rights to non-resident parents and grandparents.
The review will also examine the processes involved in granting divorces and awarding ancillary relief, but it will not extend to the law as it relates to the grounds for divorce or the amounts of ancillary relief that should be awarded.
The Family Justice Review Panel will be chaired by David Norgrove, who is currently chair of the pensions regulator and the Low Pay Commission. It wishes to hear from children, families, professionals and representative groups involved in the family justice system. It will then publish recommendations.
Norgrove said: ‘The family justice system is vitally important, attempting to resolve some of the most difficult issues in our society. My panel colleagues and I are determined to create a better system to serve the needs of those who use it.
‘We are also being challenged to find ways of doing more with less.’
Justice minister Jonathan Djanogly said: ‘It is over 20 years since the introduction of the Children Act 1989, and while areas of child welfare and wellbeing have been the subject of reform, there has been no fundamental review of the family justice system.
‘Now more than ever we need a family justice system that supports people in need as efficiently as possible, and that is what the panel’s work will help us achieve.’
Comments
In cases Family v Local
In cases Family v Local Authorities Childrens Family Law Cases, Stop legal aid, make the cases Family v Local Authorities, allow the Family all the court documents with every accussation in black and white, any member of family or friend to be allowed to be heard in court, make it law that family will be the first consideration if the child/ren are to be removed from the parent/s, the last option should be outsiders.
Family Justice Review
Whilst it is welcome that after three decades of trying to persuade politicians to listen to what they have to say about the 'system' parents who have lost their children to Local Authority jurisdiction are being allowed tender their viewpoint, this 'review' will end up being a whitewash.
I've just had a look at the questionnaire people are expected to complete. It's contents indicate that its designers have no insight whatsoever into the unchallengeable misuse of power that 'professionals' have been engaging in. What is needed is an intelligent, well-educated, unbiased researcher asking parents about their experiences at the hands of these 'professionals'.
As one of those parents I will be presenting the Panel with a well thought out article on the subject, - based partly on my of the 'system' and partly on what I've discovered since starting to read about the history of Britain's so-called child 'care' system.