Reform and the future of family justice: where is the court modernisation programme heading?

The following is an extract from a talk delivered by the immediate past President of the Family Division to the Cheshire and North Wales Resolution Family Law Conference at Chester on 25 September 2018. The full version will appear in the November issue of Family Law.

April 2014 saw sweeping and what has turned out to be although I say it myself immensely successful reform of the family justice system. In particular it saw the coming into being of the single Family Court incorporating in one legal structure and in many places with all the judges of the new court (including I emphasise the magistrates)  located under the same roof the family jurisdictions of the county court of the now abolished family proceedings court and in large part of the Family Division of the High Court.

Alongside these institutional reforms the family justice system saw radical improvements in practice and procedure: in particular a focus on the imperative need for judicial continuity and robust judicial case management. Cases are now allocated on issue by a...

Read the full article here.