Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 June 2023
255. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice if consideration has been given to the introduction of domestic violence courts similar to the British model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26843/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, this Government takes a ‘Zero Tolerance’ approach to domestic, sexual and gender based violence in our society.
Last June, we launched the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, a five-year, whole of Government plan to address these heinous crimes and the attitudes that underpin them.
As part of delivering on the actions contained in this Strategy, there is an overarching goal under the prosecution pillar to “reform the operation of the family law courts to ensure victims/survivors are better protected”.
Work in this area includes research which explores the interface and interaction of civil family law, public criminal law and the child protection justice systems, with a final report launched at the start of last month.
While the introduction of domestic violence courts similar to the British model did not arise as a topic in this research, the Third National Strategy commits to explore the feasibility of appointing specialist judges for DSGBV cases. My Department will begin the scoping work on this action, in consultation with the judiciary, before the end of the year.
Work is also ongoing to establish the new family law court at Hammond Lane, and to implement as appropriate the recommendations contained in the Family Justice Strategy relating to victims/survivors of DSGBV.
The Family Justice Strategy sets out the vision for a coordinated, consistent and user-focused family justice system, which helps children and families obtain earlier, appropriate resolutions in a simpler, fairer, and more effective way. It aims to achieve this through the implementation of over 50 actions across nine goals.
The Strategy is foundational in nature, recognising the many issues that currently exist within the system but outlining the steps needed to move towards a family justice system that is streamlined and user-friendly, and which supports and protects children and their families.
A specific action within Goal 4 of the Family Justice Strategy focusing on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is to identify the tools and techniques that will assist people working within the family justice system to identify domestic violence and abuse, coercive control, high, conflict disputes and child protection risks ahead of engaging in ADR and disseminate widely.
Part of the Strategy, and an important element of the family justice reforms, is the Family Courts Bill 2022, which was published on the 1st of December and has completed Second Stage in the Seanad.
The Family Courts Bill will provide for the establishment of a Family Court as divisions within the existing court structures, each dealing with family law matters as appropriate to its jurisdiction.
Both the Bill and the Strategy recognise that children and families should be at the centre of the system. These initiatives mark the beginning of the reform of how our family justice system operates, to try to make it work better for everyone engaging with it, but particularly for those who need additional supports and protections, such as domestic violence victims or vulnerable parents and children.
