Leaders in Legal Excellence: Spotlight on the Family Courts

“Families in Crisis: Spotlight on the Role of the Family Courts in Northern Ireland”

Today marks the next event in our Leaders in Legal Excellence Discussion Series, creating a conversation space for invited representatives of the legal and justice sectors to come together and explore ideas and opportunities around “Families in Crisis: Spotlight on the Role of the Family Courts in Northern Ireland”.

Recent evidence suggests that cases being dealt with in Northern Ireland’s family courts are becoming increasingly complex, particularly in relation to the care of children under The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, yet resourcing pressures on the system are continuing to increase. Meanwhile the Review of Family Justice carried out in 2017 provided an important opportunity to examine ways to help improve access to justice and also achieve better outcomes for court users, particularly families and children.

It’s timely to consider - are our family courts properly equipped to meet the needs of families who find themselves in crisis? Has the role of the legal professional had to adapt to continue to serve these needs? Has the lack of an Assembly resulted in Northern Ireland falling behind other jurisdictions in the area of family law? Are we seeing the debilitating effects of domestic abuse playing out in our family courts? And what does all of this mean for the role of the media & the principle of open justice?

The discussion will be led by Bar of Northern Ireland Chair, Sarah Ramsey BL and the panel will include:

Mr Justice O’Hara, Senior Family Judge

Claire Sugden MLA, Former Justice Minister

Louise Murphy BL, Chair of the Family Bar Association

Lindsay Fergus, Deputy Editor of The Detail

Carolyn Ewart, National Director of the British Association of Social Workers Northern Ireland

Read The Bar of Northern Ireland: Leaders in Legal Excellence or download a copy

Find out more about our last Leaders in Legal Excellence Event - “Stormont Stalemate: politicians, civil servants or the courts – who decides?”

For more details on the event email media@barlibrary.com