• Minister for Justice secures Cabinet approval for modernisation of family justice system
• District Family Court, Circuit Family Court and Family High Court to be established
• Development of sensible, comprehensive and sensitive law procedures central to the new system
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has today announced that she has secured Government approval for the drafting of a Family Court Bill.
The General Scheme of the Family Court Bill provides for the establishment of a District Family Court, a Circuit Family Court and a Family High Court as divisions within the existing court structures.
Minister McEntee is determined that her reforms of the family justice system will lead to the development of a more efficient and user-friendly family court system that puts families at the centre of its activities and will:
o Provide access to specialist supports,
o Encourage the use of alternative dispute resolution in family law proceedings,
o Streamline family law court processes to make them more efficient and more user-friendly, while encouraging greater use of alternative dispute resolution
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to enact a Family Court Bill to create a new dedicated Family Court within the existing court structure and provide for court procedures that support a less adversarial resolution of disputes. The overall aim is to change the culture so that the focus of the family justice system meets the complex needs of people who need help with family justice issues.
Minister McEntee said:
The Government is fully committed to modernising the family law system in Ireland. We will introduce a new Family Court Bill and develop a dedicated family court system. The development of sensible, comprehensive and sensitive family law procedures, particularly for vulnerable families, will be central to the new system.
The proposals in the General Scheme of the Family Court Bill are a result of a broad consideration as to the best means of providing access to various family law mechanisms available to those families involved in private family law cases.
The publication of the General Scheme is a first step in an ongoing process of improving how people are able to resolve family-based problems that require a legal solution.
Minister McEntee has established a Family Justice Oversight Group which has been tasked with driving progress on the development of a national family justice service. This Group will function at a high strategic level and will coordinate delivery of the various elements of the project.
Consideration of the recommendations in the Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Reform of the Family Law System will be integrated into the work of the group.
Membership of the Oversight Group, chaired by a senior official of the Department of Justice and Equality, includes representatives from the key State actors including the judiciary, the Courts Service, the Legal Aid Board and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The text of the General Scheme can be found on the website of the Department of Justice and Equality at: Family Court Bill General Scheme (September 2020)