The Family Court deals with families and children at highly stressful and sometimes risky times in their lives. It is vital it operates effectively so all involved can safely and securely move on with their lives.
In April 2011 the Government directed the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry) to undertake a review of the Family Court (the Review). The Family Court is facing a number of issues that compromise its ongoing sustainability and effectiveness. Reform of the Court is necessary so it can manage the ongoing fiscal pressures and improve its efficiency.
This summary briefly discusses eight themes from the consultation paper and notes some of the key questions the Review is seeking feedback on. The themes discussed are:
- sustainability and delay
- children
- supporting early self-resolution conciliation inside or outside of the Court
- cultural responsiveness
- the role of professionals entering the Court
- pathways and processes in the Court.
Purpose
The purpose of this Review is to go back to first principles and to look across the whole Family Court system. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Family Court we need to reconsider what is the best configuration of services. The terms of reference for the Review can be found on the Ministry’s website.
Methodology
The Ministry brought together the work of previous reviews, administrative data, evidence about the operation of the current system, data gathered from a sample of court files, and relevant national and international experiences to develop a comprehensive overview of the issues facing the Family Court. The Ministry also undertook some targeted, preliminary consultation with a range of stakeholders. The issues are outlined in detail in the consultation paper Reviewing the Family Court, which can be found on the Ministry’s website.