This month, the government published its response to the Family Justice Review; an extensive review of the family justice system, which commenced in March 2010.
The review, led by David Norgrove and sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, Department for Education and Welsh Government, found evidence of a system "facing immense stresses and difficulties", which has led to increasing delays for children and families.
In its response, the government has proposed fundamental reforms to the system and changes to the way in which public law (i.e., care proceedings) and private family law cases are determined.
What did the review say about case delays?
The review found evidence of unacceptable delays in care cases: court statistics show that care and supervision applications take an average of 55 weeks, and that there are currently about 20,000 children awaiting a decision in public law cases, compared to 11,000 at the end of 2008. Children involved in care proceedings are vulnerable and unnecessary delays can cause uncertainty and anxiety for these children, and can have a long-term damaging impact on their development.
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