Westminster Legal Policy Forum

Morning, Thursday, 27^th February 2020

Central London

THIS EVENT IS CPD CERTIFIED

This conference will look at the next steps for family justice in England and Wales, including:

• court modernisation;
• protecting vulnerable users;
• developing care proceedings; and
• the use of data and evidence to improve outcomes.

The seminar is timed to take place as the government considers responses to a number of key consultations on the family court structures, including the:

• Ministry of Justice call for evidence on Assessing risk of harm to children and parents in private law children cases;
• continuing HMCTS court reform programme relating to divorce, adoption, public, and private law; and
• examination of options for reform more widely in family justice being conducted by working groups led by Justice Keehan and Justice Cobb on public and private law respectively.

Speakers

There will be keynote contributions from:

• Sir James Munby, Chair, Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and former President, Family Justice Division, High Court of England and Wales;
• Neal Barcoe, Deputy Director, Family Justice Policy Division, Ministry of Justice;
• Adam Lennon, Deputy Director and Service Owner, Family, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service;
• Dr Mike Shaw, Consultant, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, Tavistock Clinic London, Family Drug and Alcohol Court National Unit; and
• a senior speaker confirmed from Citizens Advice.

Further confirmed speakers include: Adina Claire, Women’s Aid; Mor Dioum, Victoria Climbié Foundation; Usha Sood, Trent Chambers; and senior speakers confirmed from National Family Mediation and SafeLives.

The agenda

• Improving data and research evidence in family justice;
• Problem-solving courts - addressing substance misuse, mental health problems and domestic abuse;
• The impact of changes to private family law proceedings - protecting vulnerable users and meeting demand and expanding mediation;
• Supporting victims and ensuring effective legal advice for litigants;
• Reforming care proceedings in England and Wales - Special Guardianship Orders, improving standards nationwide and innovative approaches to care;
• Implementing court modernisation; and
• Next steps for policy.