On 19th May, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner attended the Bristol Local Family Justice Board Annual Conference chaired by His Honour Judge Wildblood KC, Designated Family Judge for Bristol. The Conference was well attended and also included sessions by Louise Tickle, Dr Feda Gardner and Members of the Family Justice & Young People’s Board.
The Commissioner spoke about the impact of domestic abuse on children and families in the context of Family Justice and the improvement of practice following the implementation of The Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
On the matter of family justice, the Commissioner, said: “The problems I hear about in the family courts are well-known and were backed up in the Government’s Harm Panel Report which was published in in 2020.
“The Harm Panel Report found that root and branch reform was required and it outlined a series of urgent changes to improve the situation for domestic abuse survivors and their children. Those recommendations are desperately needed now, and I have been working with the Government to implement them as a priority.”
The Office of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner will launch its next Family Court report in July 2023.