Family Law

The Ministry of Justice has published an evaluation into the effectiveness of the C1A form in the Family Court which gathers detailed information concerning allegations of domestic abuse, risk of abduction, or other concerns about harm to children, early in court proceedings.

The C1A (Supplemental Information) form was introduced into family court proceedings in January 2005 and, since then, the completion of the form has been required in all applications under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989. This includes proceedings relating to residence, contact, prohibited steps, specific issues and also parental responsibility where there are issues of domestic abuse, violence or harm.

The evaluation concluded that although there are still limitations that need to be addressed, the C1A is playing a role in screening for violence and harm. It is also sensitising court processes and prompting the parents, practitioners and members of the judiciary involved to address issues of violence and harm.

More information, including the evaluation, can be found on the Ministry of Justice's website: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research111207.htm.