We will proceed as Béarla so that there is some sense around here.
Mrs. Justice Susan Denham recommended in the sixth report of the courts commission that a specialist reporter be appointed to report on family law cases on a pilot basis. A report in The Irish Times by Carol Coulter a few weeks ago stated:
Last year a barrister, Ms Siobhan Flockton, was appointed as family law recorder and given a three-fold brief: to provide information about the operation and day-to-day activity in the family law courts of a general nature; to provide more in-depth statistical information on the family law courts; and to record, with the consent of the parties, judgments in the District and Circuit family law courts for publication.
Following her appointment, some concern was expressed about the legality of the third aspect of her work, the publication, with the consent of the parties, judgments in the District and Circuit family law courts. The Courts Service Board, which consists of senior members of the Judiciary and representatives of relevant Departments and of the legal profession, sought senior counsel opinion. The opinion given stated that the in camera rule governing family law cases meant that Ms Flockton could not attend the cases, not to mind report on them, even with the parties' consent. This was a very strict interpretation of the rule, but apparently represents the law as it stands at the moment.
The Minister will have noticed that in recent discussions by Women's Aid and at the recent conference on rape and family violence, there was a great deal of discussion on the issue of domestic violence and people felt that more reporting of these cases would be extremely useful so the public could understand the seriousness of them. At present, even barristers are unsure what is happening in these cases unless they are involved in them because they are not allowed in. There is a great deficit of knowledge about how serious are these cases. When I listen to people discussing boys who become involved in car theft, I am fascinated at their suggestions of what must be done to their parents and the fines they should pay. Sadly, in a huge percentage of the cases of such children that come before the courts, the parents do not even turn up and the children are very much out on their own.
I believe the Attorney General was considering this issue and had thought of introducing legislation. Ms Flockton was appointed well over a year ago and it is very unfortunate that all that time has gone by without any legislation. What does the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform intend to do about this unsatisfactory situation?