The Government Appoints a Group of Experts to Review the Amendments to the Court of Justice

Justice Minister Andrew Little has appointed a panel to review changes to the Family Court in 2014.

The panel will look at the family court process, specifically the family court process. mandatory mediation sessions.

Former Human Rights Commissioner Rosslyn Noonan will lead the group of three people, who will be supported by a panel of experts.

ROBERT KITCHIN / STUFF

The panel is to report no later than May of next year.

The review is expected to cost about $ 1.2 million and the panel of experts is to report by May at the latest.

The amendments reviewed in 2014 aimed to make the Family Court more effective, with the introduction of a mandatory family conflict resolution session where lawyers could not be present, and the withdrawal of lawyers from the initial stages of most proceedings. ] "The 2014 changes were meant to help people resolve parental conflict without having to go to court, but actually led to the opposite because there was a huge increase the number of urgent requests without notice. A Family Court Judge, "Little says.

" The vast majority of the comments I receive as Minister of Justice regarding the Family Court is that many women who are parties to the proceedings do not feel like being heard. In particular, victims of domestic violence Many fathers – men – feel that their requests to play a parental role in their child's life are not heard as they should.

"And we know for many children,"

Little said that he feared that families and children would be deprived of adequate counseling and support during times of distress.

He emphasized that this was not a review of the fundamental principles of the entire court. I asked him to take a human rights approach by considering improvements to ensure that children's well-being and best interests are paramount to resolving disputes about their care. . . "

Noonan stated that the problems had been apparent shortly after the 2014 reforms, but the answer was not simply to overthrow them.

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