EXTRA support for children and families who come into contact with the court service is being provided following the launch of a new independent organisation.
The Jersey Family Justice Council (JFJC) aims to improve the experience of children and families in Jersey’s family court system.
Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae was behind the launch and said the group would improve cooperation and increase awareness across Jersey’s courts to “better understand what obstacles stand in the way of good outcomes for our children”.
While not able to determine cases or give legal advice, the JFJC is a point of contact for the public to share any issues experienced in the family court, to “inform and improve future performance” and “agree best practice”.
The inaugural meeting of the group, which took place earlier this year, was chaired by Mr MacRae and was attended by children’s commissioner Dr Carmel Corrigan, Children’s Minister Richard Vibert, Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat, as well as senior members of several services.
Mr MacRae said: “The primary purpose of the JFJC is to improve cooperation between and increase awareness across various courts and agencies involved with children and families, so that we can all better understand what obstacles stand in the way of good outcomes for our children and how, through consultation and research, we can improve and modernise safeguarding and the administration of family justice.”
During a second meeting of the JFJC members of the council flagged specific issues which will be the “primary focus” of review for the first full-year term of the council.
Those issues included identifying how to elicit feedback and encourage participation from children and adults involved in family proceedings, ensuring that family court processes consider issues of trauma and minimise negative impact, the use of experts in family court and how to avoid delay.
Addressing how domestic abuse is dealt with in family proceedings is also a primary focus for the group, as well as training throughout family court services.
Subject to funding, the group added, introducing a specialist court for parents and carers struggling with addiction issues is also an area of focus currently being explored.
A dedicated JFJC website is set to launch to provide public access to ongoing work and where feedback can be gathered.
